Street Race Fever: First Stage
by Mayharukadalejrfan88
Summary: When May wins an R34 Skyline GT-R, she quickly becomes the fastest racer in Gunma Prefecture.
1. Chapter 1: The Ultimate GT-R Drift

Date: January 2, 1999

Setting: Haruna, Gunma Prefecture, Japan

At around 5:00 AM, a red Toyota Supra was driving along the pass of Mount Haruna in the Gunma Prefecture.

It was amazing to see what it was doing because the speed would take anyone's breath away.

Then he drifted along the corner with the greatest of ease while going fast. The guy was listening to some J-Pop music and was racing to the beat of the music. A guy in his late 40's named Yuichi Tachibana was driving in his Toyota Chaser. When the car passed him, he said "That boy hasn't changed at all."

That morning, a girl named May Chan was getting settled in her new home with her good friend, Ash Morikawa. She was with her parents, Norman and Caroline.

Norman said "I hope you and Ash get along well. I know you will."

May said "Yes, dad."

Ash then came downstairs. He said "How are you doing, Norman?"

Norman said "I am doing fine. May and I are almost done. She has some stuff in my S13 and then I am out of here."

May then took some stuff to her bedroom from her dad's car. She said "This is a little heavier than I thought."

Norman then said "How are you adjusting to life without your parents?"

May said "It's a little nerve-racking at first but I will get over it."

A few minutes later Norman left because he was done with helping May move in.

Ash then said to May "I think you will enjoy life here in Haruna. It's a nice little town and very peaceful also."

May said "Thank you, Ash. Since my parents live just down the street, I can talk to them anytime when I feel like it."

Ash said "That's a good thing indeed. Well, I got to get going for work."

A couple minutes later, Ash left for work and May went to a gas station where her older brother, Max would be working at."

When she got there, she met up with a guy named Koichiro Iketani. He said "Hello there. You're May, right?"

May said "Yes I am."

Koichiro said "I have heard a lot about you from your brother, Max. Sounds like you're a really cool girl."

May said "Thanks. Listen, do you know anything about the Nissan Skyline GT-R Spec-V?"

Koichiro then said "Yeah. This is the new BNR34 model or R34 for short. This particular model is FR instead of 4WD like a normal GT-R.

May then said "That sounds nice."

Then Max walked out to see May "Hello, May. So, you're interested in the new Nissan Skyline GT-R? You got good taste, sis."

Then Koichiro said "See? See? Even your brother thinks so, right?"

Max said "The GT-R is a great car."

Koichiro then said "I told you so."

May then said "That's nice, but to be honest, I don't even know that much about the GT-R. I mean who makes it anyway?"

Max then took a fuel dispenser and May put her finger in the hole. Max then said "ARE YOU SERIOUS, SIS? DO YOU WANT TO DRINK SOME HIGH OCTANE?"

Koichiro then put May in a chokehold and said "Coming to a gas station and you don't know the GT-R? What an embarrassment!"

Koichiro and Max then stopped torturing May. Max then said "Oh, well. It's no surprise, sis. When the R33 came out, me and you were just kids."

Then May said "There's a car I won in a contest but I can't drive it until Monday."

Koichiro then said "Even if it's a 300ZX, you can't compare it to a GT-R. This is a car built for speed!"

May then said "I heard you guys like to hang out at the mountain pass on weekend nights. I want to come see it but I don't have a car."

Max then said "Don't worry, sis. I will drive you."

May then said "SERIOUSLY? IN YOUR NSX? Well I guess it won't hurt to try."

That evening, May was leaving and said to Max "I am heading home, bro."

Max said "All right. I will pick you up at the bus stop at 8:00 PM."

Then Yuichi came out and said "You're really into it. Which mountain are you going to?"

Max said "Boss, Mount Haruna is the only mountain around here worth racing on. We're the fastest team on Mount Haruna."

Yuichi then said "Many claim that they're the fastest on Mount Haruna. I know this new guy who moved here a couple months ago. He drives a lot there. He is about 18."

Max said "I know a lot of the team is older than 18 but not anyone that young."

Yuichi said "It's because he drives during a different time. He works for one of my old racing friends, Hideki Matsuyama. About 4 o'clock in the morning, he likes to go for a little drive on the mountain. It's amazing to watch his downhill speed. He knows everything about the mountain. If you were to race him, he would make you look like a pushover."

Max said "No way."

At May and Ash's house, Ash was outside reading a car magazine. Then May came out. Ash said "Are you going, out, May?"

May said "Yeah. I have plans with my brother."

Ash then said "I don't care if you're out at night, but don't be out too late or you will be cranky in the morning."

May then said "You don't need to worry about me. I'm heading off." May then went to the bus stop to be picked up by Max.

While on Mount Haruna, Max was driving fast and May was screaming like crazy. She started to scream "YOU'RE GOING WAY TOO FAST BROTHER! PLEASE SLOW DOWN!"

Max said "Hey it's all right. Everyone gets scared when they're with a street racer for the first time. Get ready because I'm about to attack this hairpin in second gear!"

Max then attacked the hairpin. May then screamed "SLOW DOWN, BRO! I'M WAY TOO YOUNG TO DIE!"

Some Haruna Speed Stars members were having a little chat at the top.

When Max was done taking, they got out of Max's NSX. May was panting hard.

Max said "Are you all right, May? I didn't think you'd get this scared. I was in the mood and pushed the car quite a bit."

May then said "You don't need to apologize, bro. I guess I have never done something like this. Not even when I was driving that 4WD Celica when we lived in America."

Max then said "You know what, you're right. You were pretty easy going in the Celica."

Meanwhile, Yuichi was closing up his gas station for the night. Then he saw a big group of cars led a couple Mazda RX-7s.

Yuichi then said in his head "I have never seen them before. They're headed for Mount Haruna at this time of night? Something may happen on the mountain tonight."

The cars then made their way to Mount Haruna. They came all at once to the top.

Max said "Looks like we've got visitors."

When they parked, Max looked at the decal. He then said "The Red Suns? Oh man, not those two guys!"

Then the drivers of the Red Suns team got out of their cars.

A guy with blond hair named Keisuke Takahashi then said "We're the members of the Akagi Red Suns. I don't want to be rude, but who's the fastest team, or driver, on this mountain pass? Please tell us."

Max then said "We're the Haruna Speed Stars. We consider ourselves the fastest here."

Then Keisuke said "Then we've found what we were looking for! Would you like to hold a practice session with our team, the Akagi Red Suns, here at Mount Haruna?"

Some members of the Speed Stars said "Are they serious?"

May said in a quiet "It looks like something big is about to happen."

Then a member of the Red Suns named Hiroshi Fumihiro said "What do you think? Since we usually only run with people we know, it's becoming old. Running against other teams gives a new challenge. We can make new friends and exchange knowledge. It will also improve our skills, too. At first, we can run together then each team will be represented by one driver to compete in both uphill and downhill. We're not concerned about winning or losing. We only seek to develop friendship between the teams. What do you think?"

Max said "If you put it that way, how can we refuse?"

A member named Kenji then said "Okay. Sounds good to me."

Then Hiroshi said "How about next Saturday at 10:00 PM?"

Max said "Okay, fine."

Keisuke then said "Today, we'll just take it easy."

May said in her head "Where have I heard about the Red Suns before?"

Then Keisuke started up his yellow FD and drove off to start practicing. Other members of the Red Suns followed.

Kenji then said "We can't be intimidated here! We're going, too!" The rest of the Speed Stars members said "YEAH!" They revved up their cars to catch up with the Red Suns.

Max then said "MAX!"

Max said "Let me watch the Takahashi brothers. People call them the fastest in Akagi!"

May then said "You mean the Takahashi brothers, the famous street racers who've been featured in the magazines?"

Max then said "Yes. They're also known at The Rotary Brothers."

Max then revved up his car.

May said "What about me, bro?"

Max said "Sorry. When I make a serious run, I don't take passengers. Wait here. I will pick you up later." Max then took off.

May then said "THIS SUCKS! I wish I could drive but I have to wait until Monday."

Meanwhile, Ash was home laying on the couch. His phone then rang. He said "Hello, Ash Morikawa speaking." It was Yuichi. Ash then said "Oh, it's only you. What a surprise."

Yuichi said "Just me? I've known you for a while and this is the greeting I get? This morning, you passed me on your way home. I signaled, but you ignored me."

Ash then said "Nope, it wasn't me."

Yuichi then aid "It had to be you. It was your Supra."

Ash said "Well, it was my car, but I wasn't driving it. My friend, May was driving it this morning. She got her license in America then when she moved back to Japan, she got her Japanese driver's license."

Yuichi then said "When did she get her license?"

Ash then said "She got it back in 1997 when she and her family were living in Idaho. You can be 14 to get your driving permit and when you turn 15, you can get your driver's license."

Yuichi said "That's interested. And it sounds like she never had an accident or she would have to wait."

Ash said "That's right. If you got your license in America, you can be 16 to drive as long as you had no accidents."

Meanwhile at Mount Haruna, the Speed Stars and Red Suns were driving on the mountain. Kenji was trying to hold off a green FD. Kenji made a mistake and the green FD passed him. Kenji then said "DAMN IT! I can't keep up with them at all!"

Meanwhile Max was also driving on the mountain. He said "They're fast! I'm at my limit but I can't keep up with any of the Red Suns."

Meanwhile, Keisuke was talking with his older brother Ryousuke on a side road on the pass. Keisuke said to him "What do you think, brother?"

Ryousuke said "They're all trash, but that NSX looks pretty good. Even our second string racers can easily beat them. We don't need to bring the top drivers next week. I will pass."

Keisuke then said "If you're not coming, I guess I will pass, too."

Ryousuke said "No, you should run. You should set a record for this course which the locals can never break. Otherwise, the name of the Akagi Red Suns will never become legendary. First, we will set new records for every course in Gunma Prefecture. Then we'll take Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Tokyo. We'll have every record in the entire Kanto region, then we'll become legends, then we will retire. That's the Akagi Red Suns' "Fastest in Kanto Project." We will be untouchable."

Then Ryousuke and Keisuke took off.

At the top, members of the Speed Stars were talking about how fast the Red Suns were.

Kenji said "I am totally shocked that we got so beaten on our home ground."

Then a member named Akito Nomura said "They have put serious money into their suspensions, and they've got power, too. There's no way we can compete with the Red Suns."

Another Speed Stars member said "But how can we avoid a challenge on our own turf?"

Koichiro racer said "That's right! We can't back out now!"

Max then said "It's getting late. Let's get together tomorrow and talk about it."

Then Max took May home.

Max said to May "Street racers don't like losing. They get too serious about racing. There's nothing worse than losing to outsiders on your own home ground. It's like a law for street racers."

A couple hours later, a couple members of the Red Suns were still on Mount Haruna.

One member named Noriyuki said "Where's Ryousuke?"

Keisuke said "He went home a while ago. We're the only ones still here."

Another Red Suns racer named Keiji said "It's almost dawn."

Keisuke said "I guess we should head back, too."

A few minutes later, Keisuke took his FD for a drive to go home. He looked in his rearview mirror and said "If I get serious, they can't keep up with me. They're still at that level."

Keisuke then eased off the gas pedal a bit. Then a car came flying.

Keisuke then said "They finally caught up, huh?"

Keisuke looked in his rearview mirror and noticed something. He said "That's not one of our cars. Is that a 180SX or MR2."

The red car followed Keisuke and kept with him.

Keisuke then said "Nice driving but after two corners, I won't even see you in my mirror."

Keisuke picked up on the accelerator and tried to pull away. When he drifted at the next corner, he looked at the car and said "That's an R34 and a girl is driving it. You have got to be kidding me!"

Keisuke tried to pull away from the red R34 but to no avail. Then the R34 popped up in his mirror again.

Keisuke then said "My FD can't outrun some female rookie in an overweight GT-R?! Is this some sort of nightmare? CRAP! I'm the #2 racer of the Akagi Red Suns!"

Coming into the next corner Keisuke slowed down and May who was driving the red R34 passed him easily.

Keisuke said in his head "Doesn't she know this road? After this slow right, there's a sharp left. If she doesn't slow down, she'll end up in the ravine!"

Then May got the rear of the car sideways.

Keisuke then said loudly "I knew it! She's going too fast! There's no more room to slow down! She's going to end up in the guardrail!"

Then May took the car and drifted into the next corner.

Keisuke couldn't believe what he saw and said "WHAT THE HELL? INERTIA DRIFT?"


	2. Chapter 2: The FD's Roaring Revenge

JANUARY 3, 1999

Keisuke was shocked to see the R34 drift like what he saw. He said "I can't believe it. Did I see the ghost of a street racer that died here? The first counter-steer to the right was a feint setup for the next left corner. That was the perfect drift of a racer with ultimate knowledge of this course."

A couple of Red Suns came to Keisuke. One guy named Noriyuki said "Did you see that R34?"

Keisuke said "Yeah." Then he said to himself "My pride is torn to shreds. To think that a mountain tuned FD could be defeated by some overweight and clunky GT-R. What the hell is that R34?"

Later that day, Ash was on the phone and told May to get the phone. May was lying on her bed and said "Tell Max to call later." and Ash said "I would answer it if I were you."

That morning at May and Ash's house, the phone was ringing. Ash picked it up. He said "Hello, Ash Morikawa speaking." Then he yelled" Hey, May! MAY! How late are you going to sleep? Wake up and get the phone."

May said "It's Max, isn't it?"

Ash then said "Just pick it up!"

May ran downstairs to grab the phone and said "Hey. What's up? HUH?" It was her mom, Caroline who called her. She hadn't seen May since around Christmas. May went to a shopping district. When Caroline saw May, she said "MAY! I'm over here!" She then ran over to see her.

Caroline then said "Did I surprise you?"

May said "Yeah. I answered the phone thinking it was Max."

Caroline said "How are you adapting to Haruna?"

May said "I am doing fine. Ash seems to care a lot about me."

Caroline then said "That's good to hear. Anyway, Norman wants to go shopping with you. He would like to go next Sunday. Are you free that day?"

May said "Yes."

Caroline said "Good. I will tell your father that.

While cruising around, Max found a R34 at May and Ash's house. He looked at it. He got out of his car and said to himself "This is an R34, huh? It looks like the hood and spoiler are made from carbon fibre. It has racing written all over it. I know the GT-R is fast but the R34 is yet to be proven but it should better than the R32 and R33 combined." Then he said "What am I thinking, searching all over for this car?"

May then walked over and saw Max. She said "MAX!"

Max said "MAY!"

May then said "What are you doing here, bro?"

Max said "I forgot this is where you and Ash live. How are you?"

Then Max took May for a drive in his NSX.

While in the car, May said "What were you doing in front of my house?"

Max said "Well, I had some things to do and I just happened to pass by. More importantly, May, you really don't know that much about cars, don't you?"

May said "Well, that's pretty much correct."

They stopped at a traffic light.

Max then said "Yesterday, you said you didn't know what an R34 was, but that car at your house is an R34."

May said "What? Hold on a minute, bro. That's not an R34. I know it says Skyline GT-R Spec-V on the back."

Max then said "Right. You have the newest model of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, which is the R34."

May then said "WHAT?"

At the gas station, Koichiro was shocked to hear that May had an R34. Koichiro said "WHAT? You saw an R34 at May's house?! Are you serious, Max?"

Max said "Yes. I'm serious."

Then Koichiro came to May and said "Why did you keep it a secret, especially to your own brother?"

May said "What could I do? I didn't even know. If it's a Skyline GT-R, just say it's a Skyline GT-R. You said it's an R34, but normal people don't call it that."

Koichiro then got a little mad.

Max then said "Calm down, Koichiro. There's no need for you to pick on my sister."

Later that day, Max was working on his NSX when Kenji and Akito came by.

Kenji said "You're putting on brand-new tires? You must have spent a lot."

Max said "It's only the tires, but I need high grip to reduce my times. I'm also replacing the brake pads. On the downhill, braking is crucial."

Akito said "Are you racing, Max?"

Max said "Yes. I will run the downhill. I will attack Haruna's downhill as if I've got a death wish."

Kenji then said "Don't overdo it. One mistake on the downhill can be fatal."

Max said "I understand, but I have to overdo it just a little bit for the pride of Haruna."

On Mount Haruna, Keisuke was practicing for Saturday's race. He said in his head "That R34. It hasn't appeared today, either. Maybe the driver wasn't a local? No, that's impossible. She was totally familiar with this mountain. I want to face her again. If I don't get my revenge, then I won't calm down! Show yourself, Ghost of Haruna!"

The next day, Akito, May, and Max were watching a video of Keiichi Tsuchiya drifting. It was around noontime.

Akito said "WOW! The one and only Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya! I can't believe it!"

Max said "it looks like he can control it just by using the gas pedal."

Akito then said "May, don't you wish you could go out right now and drift just like this? Check out this drift! AWESOME!"

May said "Sure."

Then Yuichi walked over.

Akito said "Hey! You keep saying sure. Do you even know what a drift is?"

May said "Sure, I know what a drift is."

Akito said "Well, then, can you tell us what it is?"

May said "In a curve…"

Then Akito said "Don't say curve. It's not cool. Street racers say corner."

May then said "Okay, in a corner you make the front tires slide so that the car won't face the inside."

Akito and Max said "WHAT?!" Then they laughed.

Akito said "That's a good one, May! If the front tires are sliding, that's called understeer which is totally uncool and for people with no skill."

Max said "A true drift isn't in the front. It's in the rear. You're really funny, sis."

Akito said "It definitely was."

Yuichi then said in his head "Max, you're the one who doesn't understand. While in the middle of a drift, the car is basically under-steering. That was the highly advance answer of those who have mastered the four-wheel drift. I'm impressed." Yuichi then said a customer was waiting.

Koichiro welcomed the customer and the car pulled up. It was a bright yellow FD3S.

Max said to himself "An FD… Could that be Keisuke Takahashi?"

Keisuke said to Koichiro "High octane. Fill it up."

While filling up Keisuke's FD, Max said "You're a real enthusiast."

Keisuke said "I see. I thought I had seen that NSX somewhere before. The Speed Stars. Can I ask you one thing? Do you about a ghost on Mount Haruna? The ghost of a super fast R34?"

May looked at Keisuke's FD and said "WOW! Is this guy planning to fly with this?"

Max said "Please don't joke around with me, sir."

Keisuke said "The part about the ghost was a joke, but it's a red R34 with carbon fibre hood, and spoiler. It's a street racing beast. There's no way a local like you doesn't know about it."

Max stared at Keisuke. Keisuke then said "Well, fine then. If that's your secret weapon for this Saturday's meet, then I got my wish. Tell the driver of that R34 that I won't lose to the same person twice. The reason I lost last time is because I didn't know the course and I got careless."

A few seconds later, Akito and Max finished filling up Keisuke's RX-7. Then he left and drove off.

After Max was done filling up Keisuke's FD, Max said "Is Keisuke Takahashi lost? What did he mean? I don't know anything about this R34 he was talking about. Wait a minute. Wasn't that red car at the place where May lives an R34? Could it be that May won that contest and now has an R34?"

That night, Max practiced on Mount Haruna. He was trying to push himself to the limit. He was making practice runs on the downhill. On his last attempt, his NSX spun out but he didn't hit the guardrail or anything else. Max got out of his car and had a warning signal put up to warn other drivers that his car was broke down. The suspension was broken on the NSX.

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, Kenji told May about what happened.

When May got the news, she went "Max's suspension broke? That's a downer. How did it happen?"

Kenji said "Last night on Mount Haruna, he was trying to improve his time but he didn't know the suspension broke on him.

May said "But what about Saturday night?"

Kenji then said "He's pretty mad about it. I guess we might have to find someone else.

May told Kenji "I will race him. I know I can beat him.

Kenji then said "Thank you, May. All of Haruna is counting on you."

Max would have his NSX repaired at the place where Ash works.

Ash said "Hello, Max. I'm glad you're okay. The good news is your car wasn't damaged. It shouldn't take long to fix it. We will have the parts tomorrow. Hopefully, we will have it done by Friday."

Max said "Okay, Ash. I know you can do a great job."

Later that day, May and Ash were home. Ash said to May "Listen your dad called. He wants to go shopping with you on Sunday but I told him on one condition, if you win Saturday night on Mount Haruna."

May said "I already talked to my mom about it."

Ash said "The only way you will go shopping is if you win this Saturday against this FD from Akagi on Haruna's downhill."

In Akagi, Ryousuke was on his computer when Keisuke came in. Ryousuke wanted to ask his brother about the R34. He wanted him to describe the speed of the R34. Ryousuke said that skill was the best technique after Keisuke told him about the R34.

On the night of Saturday January 9th, Akito, Kenji, and Max were at mount Haruna. They were anticipating the race with the Red Suns. While Max was talking about May's R34 to Kenji, they heard the noise of rotary engines.

Koichiro said "A bunch of cars are coming."

Akito said "You can hear the rotaries."

The Red Suns made their way to the top of Mount Haruna.

Kenji said "IT'S THE RED SUNS!"

People were talking about their arrival.

Max said in his head "They're finally here."

When Ryousuke and Keisuke got out of their cars, people were cheering for them. A lot of girls said that Ryousuke was so cute.

One guy named Akihiro said "Wow, the Takahashi Brothers are so popular."

His friend Kiyoshi said "I heard that their father owns a big hospital in Takasaki.

Kenji said to Max "You can't win against the rich. Driving skilled is determined by how much you can spend on gasoline and tires."

Hiroshi came out and said "Let's begin the time attack at 10:00 PM, as we agreed upon last week. It should be easier since it's late and there aren't many other cars. We'll use radios at the start and finish points in order to time the runs. In order to allow the drivers to run full-bore and as fast as they want, officials will be placed at the blind corners. In the event of oncoming traffic, we will use lights to signal the driver."

Max said "I see."

Kenji said "Seems like they've done this a lot."

Akihiro said "Yeah. They probably do time attack everywhere."

Hiroshi then said "Well, now that I've said that, let's enjoy some free runs until 10:00 PM. The galleries are packed."

Members of both the Speed Stars and Red Suns got in their cars and did practice runs.

Meanwhile, Ryousuke and Keisuke were watching.

Keisuke said "The R34 hasn't shown up."

Ryousuke said "I wonder why. Do they intend to conceal their secret weapon until the last minute?"

At May and Ash's house, May saw Ash watching the news on TV.

Ash said "Are you ready to go?"

May said "I am so ready. I was born ready."

Ash said "Good luck. I know you will win. Drive like you normally do. There's no doubt in my mind you will not lose."

May then left for Mount Haruna in her R34.


	3. Chapter 3: R34 vs FD, Into the Battle

JANUARY 9th, 1999

Keisuke was driving his FD before the race drifting along corners. While driving, Keisuke said "Where are you, R34 of Haruna?"

At the top of the mountain, someone told some other Red Suns to check the booster and pressure gauges on Keisuke's FD.

Max, Akito, and Kenji were watching some them work on Keisuke's FD.

Max said "What are they doing?"

Akito said "They're changing the tires on the FD. They seem to have several spares in that van."

Max then said "They're changing the tires to suit the conditions of Haruna. They act like professionals. Crap…"

A mechanic from the Red Suns told Keisuke "It's ready to go any time, Keisuke."

Keisuke said "What? Ah, thank you. Isn't it past 10:00 PM yet?"

The mechanic looked at his watch and said "Well, it's about 9:40."

Then an S13 took off.

Keisuke said "DAMN IT! She hasn't come yet. Brother, that R34 really irritates me! I was convinced it could represent Haruna. Was I ever wrong! I've lost all my enthusiasm! Now I'm going for the best time and I will run away from them and humiliate them. If I don't, I won't be able to stand it!"

Max was waiting for May to come to Mount Haruna and said to himself "If my sister doesn't come, this will make Haruna look bad. We need you badly, sis!"

Then Max looked at Kenji and said "Kenji, get ready… at least mentally."

Kenji said "Okay."

Meanwhile, Hiroshi wanted to know about traffic. He said "This is the starting line. Are you ready?"

One guy at the bottom said "This is the finish line. Everyone is in their designated positions. You can start any time."

Hiroshi told the guy "Roger!" Then he looked at Max. Hiroshi then said "Should we start now?"

Max said "She didn't come after all. I'm counting on you, Kenji." Kenji got in his car.

Kenji and Keisuke pulled up to the start line.

When they lined up, Keisuke said "Are you kidding me? This is my opponent?"

Kenji took a deep breath.

Then Max said "Kenji, you look pale. You're sweating. We're even feeling kind of sick just watching you."

Kenji said "That's easy for you to say."

Akito said "Toughen up! Get mean!"

Hiroshi said he was going to do the countdown. People cleared the road so neither racer could run over them. As Hiroshi was about to begin the countdown, someone at the finish line said to him "Wait a minute! This is the finish line. A car just passed us and went up there. You don't want to pass it during the race, do you? Should we wait until it reaches the top?"

Keisuke said "This is a public road. There's always to go be regular cars! Forget about it! Start us!" & Hiroshi said "All right."

Then Max ran over and said "Wait a minute! Can you ask him what make that car was?"

Hiroshi said to the guy at the finish line "Could you tell what kind of car it was?"

The guy at the finish line said "I think it was a car with circular tail lights. I think it might have been an R34."

Keisuke wanted Hiroshi to give him the radio. Keisuke then said to the guy "What color was the R34?"

The guy at the finish line said "Why are you guys so curious about that thing? It was red with a carbon fibre hood and carbon fibre spoiler."

Max said "She's here!"

Keisuke chuckled in a low voice and then said "She showed up! My prey."

Hiroshi asked Keisuke "What are you going to do? Is it okay to begin the countdown?"

Keisuke said "Not yet! Wait until the R34 arrives. My real opponent shouldn't be the 180SX next to me, right?"

Max said "Yeah, that's right. " Then he said to Kenji "You can go back now."

Kenji said "Yeah. That's quite a relief."

Max then said "Your eyes are watering."

Kenji then said "Yours, too!"

Max said "She came through for us so that she could protect the Haruna street racers' pride. That's enough for me! Now I can start feeling like I don't care about who wins or loses. Meanwhile, May drove up Mount Haruna. While driving to the top, May looked at some of the spectators. She said in her head "What is this? It seems strange. There are people at each turn. What are they doing here? I think I came to a weird place. Oh, well, I guess it's all right. If I win, I get a full tank of gas. I can go shopping with my dad without any pressure."

She then passed a guy named Takeshi Nakazato who was also going to watch the race. He was standing next to his black R32. Then May passed him which he took notice of.

His younger brother, Drew said "What's up, big brother?"

Takeshi said "Nice technique! The way the back end moved when it pulled out of the corner was a nice touch. Didn't you see it?"

Drew then said "If you say so, but…"

Then a Night Kids member said "To us it just looked like a young woman driving that R34."

Takeshi then said "A car driven by a street racer who is at a level where he or she can maneuver it as easily as their own hands and feet has an aura about it. Ryousuke Takahashi's driving has a strong aura. His younger brother Keisuke's aura is still weak. But that girl in that R34 was emitting a strong aura. If she represents Haruna the winner is up in the air. I've heard some awesome things about the R34 GT-R. It's supposed to be much better than the crappy R33 and have the same greatness that the R32 had."

At the top, people were waiting for the red R34 to come.

Max said in his head "She's almost here. She really came. I know you will win, May! We'll show the Takahashi Brothers Haruna's real strength!"

Keisuke said in his head "Come on, R34! I'm looking forward to seeing who gets out of the car. It's been a long time since I've been so excited."

Ryousuke said in his head "She kept us waiting for so long, but such an obvious strategy won't work on me. I will be watching you very closely."

Then a guy told everyone at the top that the R34 was coming. He also said to clear a path and show the R34 to the start line.

May then drove by some spectators on the side road.

One guy named Takehito said "That R34 looks awesome."

Another guy named Joe said "Looks like the owner put some serious cash into it."

May then turned around and had the R34 facing the same direction Keisuke's FD was facing. When May parked the car, she got out of it. People couldn't believe what she looked like.

Max said "ALL RIGHT! MAY HAS ARRIVED!"

May then turned her head to see other people.

Keisuke said in his head "So this is the girl…"

May then shut her driver door. Max ran over to her and yelled her name.

Max said "I am so glad you could make it. Go for it, tonight."

May said "Thanks, bro. Ash told me to race here tonight."

Max then said "Ash told you to race, huh? He must have a ton of confidence in you if you're racing tonight."

Kenji said "Max, will your sister win this race?"

May said in her head "Maybe I should have stayed home and have Ash race.

Max then said "May! Did Ash say anything else?"

May said "He simply told me to beat the FD on Haruna's downhill."

Max then said "Can you beat Keisuke Takahashi?"

May then said "Well, I can't be sure until we really race. I have beaten him before."

Max said "You won once before?!"

May said "A full tank of gas is riding on this race so if you let me, I will win no matter what."

Max then said "How did you prepare for this race?"

May said "I watched some videos that Ash bought of people racing on Haruna. He said I could learn a lot from watching the tapes. I've also started practicing in the early parts of the morning here on the pass."

Max then said "Now I understand. May! All right. I will put you in charge of the downhill race. One more thing, thanks for coming, sis. I know you can win this race. Make Haruna proud. Tell the Akagi Red Suns we are not a bunch of friends who love street racing. Tell them we are serious about protecting our home turf. I'm counting on you!" Then Max told Keisuke "I am sorry that we kept you waiting."

Keisuke said "Really! I'm tired of waiting!" Then he looked at May and said "You're pretty young. What's your name?"

May said "May Chan."

Keisuke then said "I will remember your name. I'm Keisuke Takahashi. I won't make the same mistake twice."

May and Keisuke then got in their cars. Kenji said "Is it really all right? It's totally foolish to race an R34 against an FD."

Akito then said "The FD has a huge advantage in the corners. It's the best domestic cornering machine but the R34 like any GT-R is made for street racing. This could be a good race to watch."

Max said "We just need to have faith in her."

May and Keisuke were ready to get going. Hiroshi then began the countdown. He said "We are starting in 10 seconds! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! GO!" May and Keisuke took off and headed fast to the first corner.

Keisuke took the early lead and had a little bit of a gap on May. May and Keisuke were shifting gears as they picked up speed.

Meanwhile at the start line, one Red Suns member said "WOW! Keisuke's FD is fast!"

Another Red Suns member said "350 horsepower is no joke. His shifting is perfect."

A Red Suns member named Takuya said "At full acceleration, the R34 looked like it was standing still."

Ryousuke said in his head "Without any modification to the engine, an R34 has 310 HP at the most. However, it looks like this girl's R34 has at least 350 HP. Maybe 400 horsepower. It won't be easy for Keisuke. The reason why that R34 can shift so fast is that it has transmission gears for circuit racing. It must be perfect for the hairpins on Haruna. This is going to be a close race. The driver of that R34 must be really talented."

Meanwhile, May was trailing Keisuke. Keisuke looked in his rearview mirror and saw he had quite a gap on May's R34. He said in his head "I won't give her a break. I don't like using the straightaways to pull ahead, but this is a timed run. I will never even see that R34 in my rearview mirror."

Keisuke drifted at the first corner. Meanwhile, May was coming to the same corner. She too drifted. She now was trying to catch up with Keisuke.

A guy at the first corner aid "This is the first corner! It's great. The R34's line is incredible! It wasn't more than 5 cm from the guardrail! I've never seen anyone corner at that speed!"

Meanwhile Keisuke flew by the next couple of corners. He then looked at his rearview mirror and saw May closing in on him.

Keisuke said "She's closing the gap? She's getting closer? It must be my imagination! It's impossible!"

Keisuke stepped on the accelerator a little more however May was able to keep the gap close. Then Keisuke braked for the next corner. He flew by the next 2 corners. Meanwhile, May approached the corners at a high rate of speed. She drifted at the corners. Then at the next corner, May was able to catch up with Keisuke and pull alongside him. Keisuke pulled away a bit out of the corner but May didn't let the gap open up too much.

At the top, Akito said to Max "I sure hope May can pull this off."

Max said "I hope so."

Then Akito said "May might be a rookie but from what you told me, she has some racing experience."

Max then said "I guess you really can't tell much about a person by just looking at them. When we lived in Kanagawa Prefecture, she won championships in the 100cc, 125cc, and 150cc classes in go-karting. She also won a championship in a late model modified series 3 years ago. Anyway, we must believe in her."

Kenji said "Yeah. It's much better than if I had run."

Akito said "Even though May has won championships in go-karts and late models, it's nothing compared to real street racing."

Max said "It sounds like my sister beat Keisuke Takahashi once before."

Everyone said "WHAT?"

Akito then said "May defeated Keisuke Takahashi?! NO WAY!"

Akito noticed he was talking a little loud. Then he said in a quiet voice "I can't believe it! May defeated a guy with lots more experience than her?! She didn't even know what an R34 was!"

Meanwhile May and Keisuke were still racing hard on the downhill. Neither racer was giving or slowing down. Keisuke had about a 3 second lead over May but May however was closing the gap."

A guy at the corner May and Keisuke just passed said "WHAT? What's in that R34?! At incredible speed, it came in with the rear end free and it passed through at an unbelievable speed! It wouldn't be surprising if it went airborne at any moment! We've got shivers going up our spines!"

Meanwhile, May now had gotten to Keisuke's rear bumper. Keisuke could believe it. He said "She's caught up to me?! What's happening? I must be going crazy!"

Keisuke braked for the next corner and May drifted along at the corner. Keisuke tried to pull away from May but he was unable to. May was now putting the pressure on Keisuke.

May then said "Up to second gear, they're the same, but the stretch is different. If the straight is even a little long, he'll pull away."

May then drifted at the next corner coming to the skating rink to close the gap on Keisuke.

A guy named Tomoyuki said "This is the straightaway in front of the skating rink. The two of them just passed by! She's on Keisuke's bumper! Haruna's R34 is unbelievably fast! Is this for real? Keisuke's FD has never had anyone keep up with it this far!"

Akito started to laugh a bit.

Max said "Man, I've got goose bumps!"

Tomoyuki then said "On this long straightaway, Keisuke pulled away, but after this, there are many hairpins. It may be a problem!"

Then Ryousuke walked over to Hiroshi. Hiroshi said "Did you hear him, Ryousuke?"

Ryousuke said "We miscalculated. We didn't know Haruna had such a great racer, not to mention she's a girl."

Meanwhile, May kept up with Keisuke. Keisuke braked for the next corner. May decided to drift at the upcoming corner. She was able to pull alongside Keisuke again. May didn't let Keisuke get too far ahead of her.

One guy named Kohei said "Great attack! That R34's attack was aggressive. It was an incredible kamikaze technique! She has no sense of fear on the downhill."

Keisuke said in his head "In the straights, I'm faster, but she has caught up to me. That means I'm losing in the corners. To be caught by some female rookie is one of the ultimate humiliations for a street racer! I will die before admitting that!" Keisuke then floored his FD.

May said in her head "Ash said unless I pass that car, he won't admit that I won this race. There's no other way. I guess I have to do that. A full tank of gas is riding on this plus shopping for clothes with my dad. The setup point is in the next five consecutive hairpins!"

May then picked up the pace so she could make her move.


	4. Chapter 4: DOGFIGHT!

When we last left, May and Keisuke Takahashi were continuing their downhill race. Keisuke had been leading since it started but May had been able to keep up with for most of the race. Keisuke couldn't believe that May was keeping up with him.

They were now approaching the five consecutive hairpins. May believed that would be where the race would be won.

May now was putting the pressure on Keisuke.

Meanwhile, Keisuke saw that May was still on him. He said "DAMN IT!" He then revved up his engine and tried to pull away. Keisuke then said "What's going on? Of all days, today the FD feels extremely slow! Is the secondary turbine still working?"

Meanwhile, May continued to push hard. At the next corner, May pulled alongside Keisuke and drifted through the corner.

Keisuke was now getting more irritated.

At the top, Ryousuke wanted to talk with Noriyuki. He "This is the top of the mountain. Can you hear me?"

Noriyuki said "Ryousuke?"

Ryousuke said "Pretty soon, the two will reach the five consecutive hairpins up there. Give me the play-by-play. Tell me what's happening in as much detail as possible."

Noriyuki then said "Okay. They're very close to us now. I can hear the sound of tires squealing. They'll be here soon!" Then he saw the cars. He then said "Here they come! Keisuke's FD and the R34! They're neck and neck!"

May drifted around the first hairpin. Noriyuki said "WOW! GREAT! That R34 is amazing! It did a perfect braking-drift! Keisuke is losing ground. Her recovery is great, too! It's so close to the guardrail! They're going into the second hairpin! There's no gap now!" Noriyuki then ran over to see what was going on. He then said "Recovery is the same for both of them!"

Keisuke now was getting very nervous.

Meanwhile, Noriyuki was following the action. He said "The FD got close to the outside! The R34 is…!"

Keisuke said in his head "The hairpin is coming, but she's not slowing down! What is she thinking?"

May passed Keisuke which took Keisuke by surprise.

Noriyuki then said "The R34 is going into the hairpin at an incredible speed! Are her brakes out?"

May then used the inside to pull away.

Then Keisuke heard something that got his attention. He said "What's that?"

May then got out of the gutter and pulled away. The crowd was shocked to see her pull off that move.

Noriyuki then told Ryousuke "Keisuke was passed easily on the inside!"

Ryousuke was shocked to hear that. Akito, Kenji, and Max got excited.

Then Ryousuke handed Hiroshi the radio. Hiroshi said "That can't be true. We don't understand what's happening! Be exact!"

Noriyuki then said "But, we were watching it and a car shouldn't be able to turn at a speed exceeding the tire's grip, right? That R34 turned in a weird way. It was kind of like a roller coaster, even though that line was supposed to be bad on the inside turn. I have no idea what happened!"

Drew said in his head "That R34 pulled off that move perfectly! That girl must know this course by heart."

Then Takeshi laughed and said "I know what the R34 did. It's a stupid thing, but no one can imitate it. It can happen only here on Haruna. I can't believe anyone would try something so stupid, but a GT-R is the perfect car to do it with." Then Takeshi and Drew got in Takeshi's R32. Takeshi then said in his head "I have something to look forward to. Haruna's downhill specialist, you will be beaten by me, Takeshi Nakazato of the Myogi Night Kids!"

At the bottom, one guy said "This is the finish line! I can hear the sound of their engines! They're almost hear. Here they come! Who's in the lead? It's the R34!"

Another guy said "WOW! What's going on?!"

The guy on the radio said "Keisuke's FD is coming, too, but there's too much of a gap for him to cover! The R34 easily wins!"

Keisuke said "CRAP! My FD beaten by a girl driving an R34?! That's impossible! 350 horses beaten by an overweight R34?"

Then May crossed the finish line and the guy on the radio told Ryousuke that Keisuke has lost.

Kenji, Akito and Max said in excitement "WE DID IT!"

Ryousuke and Hiroshi were disappointed Keisuke didn't win.

After crossing the finish line, Keisuke parked his FD and got out of it. He saw May took off. Then he said to himself "Am I having a nightmare? I lost to an R34, twice?!"

Kenji said "WOW! She won!"

Max said "GREAT JOB, SIS! YOU WON! I'm totally numb. I feel like I'm going crazy."

Kenji said "Your sister won!"

Max said "YEAH!"

Kenji then said "MAX! Don't cry, you idiot!"

Max said "I don't know why, but I'm happy."

Kenji said "Let's take lessons from her like drift control and picking a line."

Max said "I got a better idea. Let's put a Speed Stars sticker on her car without her knowing!"

Akito came up and said "OH! I would volunteer to do that, Max!"

Ryousuke then said "It was a clear loss. Let's admit it with some grace." He then walked to his FC.

Hiroshi then said "How about the timed run for the uphill, Ryousuke?"

Ryousuke said "The uphill doesn't mean anything."

Hiroshi then said "By tomorrow, rumors will spread among the street racers that the undefeated Red Suns lost to a girl driving an R34 from Haruna."

Ryousuke then said "We will have to get even soon with my FC." Then Ryousuke got in his car and drove off to Akagi.

A few minutes later, May arrived home. She backed up her R34 in the driveway. When she finished parking it, she got out and headed inside the house.

Meanwhile, Ash was watching a music video on TV and was also reading a newspaper. May came through the kitchen. She stared at Ash for a moment then headed to her room. Ash then turned his head and grunted a bit.

May peaked and said "You promised me a full tank of gas. You promised me, Ash!"

May then went into her room.

Ash said "I see. She won. I knew she would win even before the race began."

At Mount Haruna, Keisuke was talking to Ryousuke about how he lost. Keisuke and Ryousuke walked over to the hairpin where May passed Keisuke.

Keisuke said "This is right where I was passed by the R34. I just don't get it. How could a GT-R, which has terrible over-steering issues, go through faster than my FD? Just remembering it gives me the creeps. She may be a real ghost."

Ryousuke then said "Keisuke, tell me exactly what happened at that time. Was there anything strange?"

Keisuke said "Come to think of it, I heard a strange sound, like scraping!"

Ryousuke said "A strange sound?" Then he looked at the inside of the hairpin and said "I see. Now I understand."

Keisuke was a little confused.

Ryousuke then said "Should I tell you why you lost?"

Keisuke then heard what Ryousuke was about to say.

Ryousuke said "She used this."

Keisuke said "A drainage ditch?"

Ryousuke said "Yes. She dropped her inside tiers into the ditch on purpose and resisted the centrifugal force by hooking it. In that way, it's theoretically possible to gain more cornering force than the tires can grip. It's too obvious and simple and it's a ridiculous idea. It wouldn't be successful if she had never done it before. I assume that she probably practices like this regularly. She must have learned this from someone who had done it before."

Keisuke then kicked the guardrail and said in anger "NOW I'M REALLY MAD!"

Ryousuke then said "The downhill is fun because this kind of thing happens. It's been a while since I've met a target that I can get excited about. Let's cancel the expedition we were planning for next week. Until we have a complete victory at Haruna, we can't move on. I will beat the R34!"

The next morning, Yuichi stopped by Ash's house. When he arrived he said "Ash! Are you home? It's me."

Ash said "Oh, Yuichi. Good timing! I wanted to take you for a drive in my Supra. I hate to bother you, but are you willing to go for a little ride?"

Yuichi said "Sure. I guess it won't hurt."

Ash then chuckled a bit. Then he took Yuichi for a ride.

While driving, Yuichi said "I heard May was great last night on Mount Haurna. Max and the others have been excited about it all morning."

Ash said "It's not particularly great. Expectations of kids these days are pretty low."

Yuichi then laughed a bit.

Ash then went on to say "She likes driving cars but doesn't know much about the mechanical stuff."

Yuichi then said "Is that right? I can't believe it. She has such a great technique."

Ash said "To May, driving a car equals a roller coaster ride. She has always wanted to become a professional racer but she didn't think it would ever happen, so she can't imagine that driving is fun. She's somewhat cynical about it. But the chase on the downhill of Haruna last night might have given her more passion about racing."

Yuichi said "Speaking of which, I didn't see the R34. Where is May?"

Ash said "She went shopping with her father. She was in a great mood today."

Meanwhile, May and her father Norman went to a shopping center in Ohta. Norman said "Great job on winning last night. You make me proud."

May said "Thank you very much, dad. I'm glad you could go with me."

Norman then said "Thanks, honey. Your mom and I are so proud of you. Another reason why I thought of this is because I wanted you to get a good idea of what Haruna and its suburbs. I think you will enjoy life here in Gunma."

May then pulled into the shopping center's parking lot. When she parked, she and Norman got out of the R34 and went shopping. May bought some T-shirts. She bought a plain red, blue, black, white, and yellow T-shirt. She also bought red and black Adidas T-shirts. She also got a couple pair of Adidas sweatpants. She also bought a pair of new Adidas running shoes. They then went to a store that sold motorsports apparel. She bought a Nismo T-shirt, Nismo sweatshirt, and a Yokohama Advan hat. She then bought a Coca-Cola T-shirt and Coca-Cola hat.

When she was done shopping, she and Norman went to a sushi bar for dinner. When they were done, May dropped Norman off at his house and then she took off for Ash's house which was down the street.

Meanwhile on Mount Haruna, Ryousuke was driving along the uphill route of the pass. Then Takeshi Nakazato came out of nowhere in his black R32. When they got to the top, they parked on one of the side parking lots. They then got out of their cars.

Ryousuke said "My name is Ryousuke Takahashi. I'm a member of the Red Suns."

Takeshi said "I know. I'm Takeshi Nakazato. I belong to a team at Mount Myogi called the Night Kids."

Ryousuke then said "Now I remember. Aren't you the fastest on Myogi's downhill?"

Takeshi then said "I am honored to be recognized by the legendary Ryousuke Takahashi."

Ryousuke said "I remember you ditched your S13 for that R32. Well it doesn't matter anyway. What brings a street racer from Myogi to Haruna?"

Takeshi said "Hang on a minute. Let's not talk about me. You belong to Akagi, don't you? Didn't we come here for the same reason? I wanted to meet the R34 I saw yesterday."

Ryousuke said "So you want to go toe-to-toe in your R32 against that R34? Your R32 has a lot of power, 380 horsepower to be exact."

Takeshi said "WHAT?"

Ryousuke then said "I can see it easily by looking at the exhaust and its power on the straightaways, but the result is obvious. On the uphill, the R34 is no match for the R32. On the downhill, there is no way your R32 can beat the R34."

Takeshi then said "What did you say? Are you saying my R32 will lose to the R34 on the downhill?"

Ryousuke said "Don't take it personally. I'm just saying what I think."

Takeshi walked over to Ryousuke and said "You don't have much nerve. Even though your brother lost, there's no need to be so intimidated, although I've heard some stuff about the R34."

Ryousuke said "Once you race against it, you'll see. I'm the only one who can beat her."

Takeshi said "Don't joke with me. I won't lose to a girl driving an R34. You've already said it, and now I can't walk away no matter what. I will beat the R34 and make you eat your words. You can be arrogant for now. Don't forget that I'm Nakazato from Myogi! I'm telling you now that the rotary is no match for this R32!"

Then Takeshi drove off for Myogi.

Ryousuke said in his head "The R34 is the newest Skyline GT-R. It's better than the R32 and R33 combined. Nakazato is in over his head."

Then Ryousuke drove off for Akagi.


	5. Chapter 5: A Racer's Pride

(FLASHBACK)

SEPTEMBER 11, 1998

After some guys from the Kawasaki Blazers soccer team were done with practice, they complained about how hard they practiced and wanted to get some pizza.

One guy named Masahiro said to a dude named Kazu "Are you for real? You want to go out with Max Chan? That sounds awesome."

The dude said "Yeah, he is smart and that's why I want to go out with him."

Then May yelled at Kazu "WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP YOU PUNK?"

Kazu said "DID YOU TELL ME TO SHUT UP? THAT'S IT YOU LITTLE PEST!"

May's friend Samantha said to her "Hey May, I don't think you want to mess with Kazu and his gang."

Kazu went after May and tried to hit her but missed and then May hit him with a closed fist. All the people in the locker room went to calm down the two and May said to Kazu "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO MESS WITH MY BROTHER, YOU JERK!"

JANUARY 14, 1999

TIME: AROUND 7:00 AM

May had just woken up so she could get ready for school. She took a shower and dried out. She then put on her school uniform. Then she went downstairs to make some breakfast. She had a cup of miso and some natto. She put on her running shoes and then left for school in her R34.

Later that day at Yuichi's gas station, Yuichi wanted to know where Max was.

Koichiro said "Max just left on a delivery. He took the pickup truck."

Yuichi said "I see. If Max isn't here, then maybe you can help, Akito. Could you deliver some papers to the Matsuyama shop for me? You can take my car."

Akito said "Sure, but I rather drive my Z32."

Yuichi then said "I understand." Akito then ran to his car and left.

Koichiro said "Hey, boss. I have a license, too. Why couldn't I run errands for you, even though I have worked here for years?"

Yuichi said "You are needed here. You are the assistant manager here."

Then a black R32 came into the gas station.

Koichiro said "WHOA! That's an R32!"

The R32 pulled next to a gas pump and Koichiro welcomed the person. Koichiro said to himself "What a ride! The R32's the bomb!"

Then Koichiro saw a "Night Kids" sticker on the right rear window.

Takeshi got out of his R32 and said "Hey, kid. My name's Takeshi Nakazato. Someone back on my turf told me I could contact a member of the Speed Stars at this station. Tell me this. Where can I find that R34 at Haruna? Do you understand what I'm saying? Aren't you a member of the Speed Stars?"

Koichiro said "What should I tell him? I'm a member of the Speed Stars."

Takeshi then said "I guess I came to the wrong place."

Then Koichiro said "WAIT! No, you're at the right place! Actually, that R34 girl and her brother, we're down like brothers."

Takeshi said "WHAT? A girl drives an R34?"

Koichiro said "Yeah, her brother is a great racer. He drives an NSX."

Takeshi then said "REALLY?"

Koichiro said "That girl is a bit faster than her brother or me. She has mad skills."

Takeshi said in a soft voice "I didn't know anyone on the Speed Stars could race at that level."

Koichiro said "Yeah, um… Well, never mind that. I can deliver her a message if you want. After all, she's well known around here."

Takeshi then got back in his R32. He rolled down his window and said to Koichiro "All right. Tell her this. 10:00 PM this Saturday night."

Koichiro said "10:00 PM this Saturday night?"

Takeshi said "Nakazato of the Night Kids will be waiting for her on top of Mount Haruna."

Koichiro said "Waiting on top of Mount Haruna… WHAT?"

Takeshi then said "It will be a race to the bottom!" Then Takeshi took off.

Koichiro said "Wait a second, please!" He saw Takeshi leave and said "Oh, now I've really done it! Did he just challenge May? OH, NO! What am I going to tell May?!"

Then Akito returned. He said "What are you all panicked about, Koichiro?"

Koichiro said "Never mind that. I was wondering if May could be available this Saturday night so she could go racing on Mount Haruna."

Akito said "I am not sure. I will have to talk to Max to see if she's available. I'm not even sure she's available this Saturday night."

Yuichi came out and said "Akito. Thanks a lot. Come on in and have some coffee."

Akito parked his Z32. Koichiro said "Not good. This is not good."

That night, May got home from patrol at the police station. She saw Ash lying on the couch. May said "What's up with you, Ash?"

Ash said "I had a long day at work. I'm tired as hell."

Meanwhile, Takeshi was driving on Mount Haruna. He said to himself "R34 of Haruna, Ryousuke Takahashi, your days are numbered. I will show you who is number one!"

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, Max, Koichiro, and May were hanging out. Then Kenji pulled in. He parked his 180SX and got out. He ran over to them and said "MAX! You accepted a challenge from the Night Kids of Mount Myogi? Why were you keeping something that big a secret from us?"

Max said "I don't know what's your talking about."

Kenji then said "It's no use trying to deny it. Akito told me about it. The word's out all over town. R34 vs. R32 on Mount Haruna's downhill!"

Max said "The R34? That's news to me!"

Kenji said "WHAT? The word is, Nakazato came to this gas station in person to issue the challenge!"

Max turned around to see May and said "Have you heard anything about this, sis?"

May said "No, not a word."

Kenji said "No one knows about this? What's going on?"

Then Koichiro said "SORRY!" Koichiro started to quiver a bit.

Max said "Koichiro… you didn't…"

Koichiro said "I accepted the challenge!"

Max, May, and Kenji were shocked to hear what Koichiro said.

Koichiro got on his knees. Then he said "Please forgive me! Yesterday, Nakazato of the Night Kids really came here. He came by when Akito and Max were out. I couldn't help but pretend to be a member of the Speed Stars and before I knew what was happening he had already issued the challenge and drove off."

Max then said "Why didn't you tell us about this before?!"

Koichiro said "I was going to tell you, I swear. I was just waiting for the right moment. May, I'm sorry. I messed up. Please forgive me!"

May said "It's a bit late now."

Koichiro begged everyone to forgive him.

That night on Mount Akagi, Ryousuke and Keisuke were driving on the pass. Then Takeshi's R32 passed by some spectators.

One spectator said in a purple sweatshirt said "He's racing against the R34 tomorrow night, right? I'm definitely going to watch that!"

Another spectator said "If Nakazato of the Night Kids is challenging the R34 that beat Keisuke Takahashi, there's no way we can miss that!"

Another spectator said "On the surface it may seem like a race between the Speed Stars and the Night Kids, but it's really a battle between Nakazato's pride and the pride of the Takahashi Brothers!"

One guy said "No matter how the race turns out, Ryousuke Takahashi isn't going to just sit back and watch."

The guy in the purple sweater then said "The nights are starting to heat up already!"

Meanwhile, at the Family's Restaurant in Haruna, Max said to Kenji "OH, MAN!"

Kenji said "What are we going to do?"

Max then said "Everyone around town is talking about this race. It's too late to back out now. Maybe I should ask May to race."

Kenji then said "Even May might not have what it takes to go against the R32. Even though May drives a GT-R, she might not have enough. That Nakazato guy from the Night Kids is just as famous a racer as the Takahashi Brothers."

Max said "It'd be a tough battle. It might even be over from the get-go. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't ask her after all."

In the early parts of the morning on January 16, May decided to go for a test drive on Mount Haruna. Before she left, Ash said to her "Come back in one piece."

May said "Hey, Ash. Is the R32 any good?"

Ash said "The R32? Yeah, that's a fast car."

May then said "Could you win in a downhill battle against the R32?"

Ash said "Yeah. There's no way my Supra could lose to an R32."

May then said "Do you think I can win?"

Ash said "I don't know. It'd be a close race. Why are you asking? Are you racing an R32?"

May said "No. I'm just asking. See you later." May then left for Mount Haruna.

Ash saw May take off and he said in his head "Now it's against an R32. This sounds like a great race. An R34 vs. its cousin, the R32. I'd better adjust the settings on May's R34."

Meanwhile, May was attacking Mount Haruna. She then remembered Ash told her it would be a close race if she raced an R32. Then she saw someone on the road. It was Keisuke Takahashi. May braked and turned off her car. Before she got out, she said in her head "What's Keisuke Takahashi doing here at Mount Haruna this early in the morning?"

Keisuke then walked over to her and the R34. Then May got out of the R34.

Keisuke said "I didn't think you would be around here at this time. Then again, it was about this time the night I first met you. So you're going against Nakazato from the Night Kids, huh? You're the talk of the town."

May said "For your information, I don't recall accepting that challenge."

Keisuke then said "WHAT?"

May then said "He came to challenge me while I was away. I don't intend to race him."

Keisuke said "What do you mean you don't intend to race him? Nakazato of the Night Kids issued a personal challenge to you, right? Why don't you just accept it? Show him who's the fastest! You can beat him!"

May said "Why does it matter to you? This is between him and me."

Keisuke said to May "It's not just between the two of you! It's because you beat me! If you lose to anyone, it will be to the Takahashi Brothers! Until one of us beats you, you can't lose to anyone else! Not even to the R32!"

May said "I said I wasn't going to race him! I have no reason to."

Keisuke then said "Reason? Does any racer need a reason to race?"

May then said "Who ever said I was a racer?"

Keisuke said in an angry voice "I am in no mood for jokes! Are you sarcastic?! In order for your technique to be as good as it is, you must know this pass really well! Why would someone drive like a racer is he or she is not a racer?"

May said "I don't drive like I do because I like it. I do it for fun. I would like to be a professional racer someday but I don't know if I really want to."

Keisuke said "Stop denying it. No one can get as good as you if they hate driving."

May said "That's not it. You wouldn't understand."

Keisuke then yelled "You're the one who doesn't understand, May Chan! Could someone who hates racing ever master drifting? Only a person who loves the sport could master something like that! Maybe you don't realize it, but you're a racer. Deep down you love driving! YOU HEAR ME?! If you love driving, then that makes you racer enough and if you're a racer, then you should be proud of your driving skills! Accepting challenges is a racer's pride! You make me sick" Then Keisuke turned around and headed back to his FD. He started it up, made a U-turn and drove off, almost running over May.

May said in her head "Keisuke Takahashi is such a show off! He thinks he's better than everyone else but I raced him and beat him last week. Besides, do I really like driving but just don't realize it? Still, being forced to accept every challenge that comes along. That's not for me!"

That afternoon, Koichiro and Max were working at Yuichi's gas station.

Koichiro said to Max "What's your sister up to?"

Max said "She's on patrol until 7:00 PM."

Then Koichiro said "Max, I'm going to Mount Haruna tonight to apologize to Nakazato. I will get down on my knees if I have to and tell him the truth. Maybe he'll understand. Besides, the Speed Stars had nothing to do with this."

Max then said "I know my sister very well and I don't think she will want to race. She hates being forced into things or having to follow others' orders with the exception of our parents."

Koichiro said "She looks real mellow."

Max said "Once she says something, there's no changing her mind."

Yuichi said in his head "May is stubborn just like her dad."

Koichiro said "She probably doesn't understand why racers have to accept challenges. The whole system seems to offend her."

Max said "When someone tries to force her to do something, she usually does it because she likes helping others out, but I think this is something she doesn't want to do."

Koichiro said "That's how your sister is, huh?"

Max said "Yeah. May is smart but she can be a little stubborn at times. She got that from our dad."

Meanwhile, Ash was driving May's R34 around the village.

That night, May came over to Yuichi's gas station. May said "What's up, Yuichi?"

Yuichi said "MAY! Good to see you. Come sit down. I want to talk to you."

May then sat down on the couch.

Yuichi then went on to say "You know I overheard some talk. You're going to race an R32 tonight?"

May said "What? I'm…"

Yuichi said "Don't do it, May. That guy is bad news."

May then said "Uh… No, I wasn't…"

Yuichi then said "No, no. I know what you're going to say. I've known everything from the beginning. I know it wasn't your decision to take this race. Koichiro was the one who screwed up and accepted it, right?"

May said "You're right."

Yuichi said "You know you're too nice sometimes. You got to stop bailing your friends out all the time. Trust me. Whatever you do, don't race that R32. There's a lot you don't know about cars. I know you drive a powerful R34 but do you even know what an R32 can do?"

May said "Is an R32 that amazing?"

Yuichi looked at May and said in his head "I got her. She took the bait." Then he said to May "It's beyond amazing. That car's in a class by itself! Its driving system combines everything good about FR and four-wheel drive. It's a beast! Your R34 is no match for it. If the driver was an amateur, you'd have a chance, but you're up against a famous racer, right?"

May said to herself "Ash didn't tell me this. He said it would be a close race."

Yuichi then said "Hey. Are you with me, May? You just became famous yourself by beating that team from Akagi. You shouldn't ruin your name so fast. It's not wise to go up against someone you have no chance of defeating. You hear me? Since your opponent's driving an R32, no one would call you a coward for backing out."

May then said in her head "A COWARD?" She then left to go home. Before she left she said "Yuichi, thanks for the warning but I could care less about my fame as a racer."

Yuichi took a puff of his cigarette and said "So you aren't going to back down?"

May said "No. Hearing about how amazing that car is only made me want to see it in action. I'm not afraid of an R32 or any other car." Then May left to go home.

Yuichi then said "May's almost exactly like her father."

When May got home, she noticed there was a note from Ash saying he was going out. She said "Ash never told me he was going out tonight." Then she turned around and saw her car was gone.

May then said "OH, NO! MY R34! If he went out, I'm really in trouble. He won't be back until morning! Ash told me that my dad had to borrow the Supra for a couple days so I can't borrow the Supra. This means I can't do anything now. I should have asked him if he needed my R34 this morning!"

At Mount Haruna, a huge crowd gathered for the race. One person said there were more people than the race against Keisuke Takahashi. One person wanted to know why there were so many people and another guy said that they wanted to see May and her R34 drift.

Meanwhile, May went inside the house. She called a few bars to find Ash but Ash wasn't at any bar. Then she yelled "DAMN IT, ASH! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! GIVE ME BACK MY R34!"


	6. Chapter 6: May's Decision

DATE- JANUARY 16, 1999

Akito was driving Kenji and Max up Mt. Haruna in his 300ZX. While driving by, they noticed the crowd and how big it was.

Max said "Look at that crowd!" & Akito said "More people are here than when the FD raced last week." Max then said "The race between May and Nakazato is getting a lot of attention."

Kenji then said "If we don't do anything soon, it's going to be ugly." & Max said "We're in no position to say it was a mistake. I hope she shows up soon."

At her house, May was looking at the clock in the living room and said "DAMN IT, ASH! WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?" May then remembered the talk she had with Ash about racing the R32 and asking him if he would win.

Ash said "Yeah. I'd win against any car, let alone an R32." May then said "Do you think I can win?" She also remembered about what Yuichi told her about the R32 and how she initially decided not to race Takeshi Nakazato and also Yuichi telling her not to race him and also telling her she wouldn't be a coward for backing out. May then said "A COWARD?"

Meanwhile on Mount Haruna, Takeshi and the rest of the Myogi Night Kids were making their way up the pass. The crowd was in awe seeing his R32 and a couple of people pointed out Nakazato and his R32.

One person said that the R32 was amazing and also saying it was a champion of the street. A couple minutes later, the Night Kids made it to the starting line which was the top of the mountain.

Max then said "So this is the Myogi Night Kids. They sure came in with a big group tonight! Akito then said "This is bad. If we don't apologize, it won't end well." Kenji then said "You're right." Max then looked at the clock in Akito's Z32 and noticed it was 9:15 PM. He said "There's still time. Let's go talk her into it."

However, Kenji and Akito were shocked to hear it and Kenji then said "I don't think it's such a good idea to drag May into a losing battle." Max then said "We will never know until they actually race." but Kenji said "Of course she'll lose. It's obvious if you're thinking clearly! She's going to race the R32! She can't match its 4WD ATTESA E-TS!"

Max then said "I thought the same at first. But since I've been here, I've started thinking there may be a chance. Of course, if this was the circuit, my sister couldn't win. But this is a mountain pass! This is the pass where novice drivers can do well on if they know the course. May certainly knows how this course. She's been driving on this pass every day since January 4th. Nobody knows what will happen. When my sister drives the R34, it's no longer an ordinary R34. It turns into a super machine with infinite fighting power! There's a really good chance she can win. Her driving is far better than anything we've ever imaged."

Akito then said "I hope you're right about this, Max." Max then said "Her downhill driving ability is amazing. There should be one other person who feels the same way." Akito wanted to know who it was and Max told him "There is one other person who got a good look at her driving."

Akito then said "Do you mean…" & Max said "That's right! KEISUKE TAKAHASHI OF THE RED SUNS!"

Meanwhile Ryousuke and Keisuke were driving up Mt. Haruna drifting through some of the corners. The crowd also was watching them and noticed who they were immediately. One spectator said with the addition of the Takahashi brothers, there were more stars for the show and another spectator said that it was so exciting.

A couple of female fans were screaming for the Takahashi brothers. One was cheering for Keisuke and the other was cheering for Ryousuke. Another female spectator said that both looked great.

A spectator with a white hat and shirt and his friend were watching them as well. One of them said "They have fans now because they're cool." The spectator's friend then said "DAMN IT! Racers should be admired for their skills." The Takahashi brothers then drove by and the two spectators said "I am no match for them either way." & the guy with the hat then said "On top of that, they're rich."

Ryousuke and Keisuke then made their way to the top. Max said "I knew they would be here!" Takeshi then looked at the two. Ryousuke and Keisuke then got out of their RX-7s.

Ryousuke then stared at Takeshi and Keisuke walked over to his brother. Keisuke then said "I am looking forward to seeing how this race turns out." & Takeshi then said "Watch closely! I will show you who the fastest man in Gunma is! Not the R34 or the Takahashi brothers… It's me! Takeshi Nakazato of the Night Kids!"

Keisuke then said in a low voice that Takeshi was a show off. Ryousuke then said "Looks like the R34 isn't here yet."

Max then said "In that case, we have to persuade May no matter what. Akito and Max then got in Akito's Z32. Max told Koichiro & Kenji to stay and apologize to Takeshi and wait until the last possible minute.

Meanwhile, Yuichi was in attendance. He said to himself "I am sure that May is coming." He was in a big crowd of female spectators who were screaming for Ryousuke and Yuichi said "What a nice place I'm in!" Ryousuke then got back in his FC and Yuichi said he would make a habit of being in a crowd full of fans. Ryousuke and Keisuke then drove off but the female spectators ran after them. Yuichi also ran after them and said "Ryousuke, honey!"

Meanwhile at May's house, May looked at her alarm clock and noticed the time. It was 9:30 PM. She said to herself "What's going on? I'm so tense I could die. I want to go to Mt. Haruna so bad. I'm not really sure if I love driving that much." She then lied down on her bed and said "I know I can win. Even though I have not driven on Mt. Haruna much, I have a good feel for the course. I want to see how much I'm capable of. Everyone says the R32 is really fast, so I want to challenge it with everything I got. I've never felt like this before. I can't stop thinking about racing, even though I don't have a car. On the contrary, I want to race more every second."

It was now 9:35 PM. May then said "ASH, WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO?" May then heard a noise outside the house. She looked out her window and saw Akito and Max."

Max shouted "SIS!" & May said "BRO!" A couple minutes later, May came outside and talked with Akito and Max. After a little conversation, Max said "WHAT? Ash took your R34?" May then said "Yeah"

Akito then said "You have no idea where he might be?"

May said "I thought he might be at some bar, and I called every bar in the village."

Max said "You couldn't find him?" & May nodded to him and said yes.

Akito then got irritated and said "If you don't have the R34, there's no use talking about it." & Max said "This is really unexpected." May then said "Bro, did you come here to talk me into racing?" & Max said "Yes. People are making a big deal over this at the pass!" Akito then said "Nakazato of the Night Kids and the Takahashi brothers are stirring up the crowd." Max then said "Despite all of that, you are the star today, sis!"

May then said "Wait a minute! Please don't give me a hard time." Max said "You haven't changed your mind? & May said "It's not that. To tell you the truth, I wanted to go." Both Akito and Max said "WHAT?" & May said "But without the car, what can I do? I was really depressed until you arrived."

Akito and Max then got on the ground and started to pout. Akito said "Gee! Why is this happening?" & Max said "How disappointing! What can we do without the car? Wait, I got an idea sis. How about running in Akito's Z32?"

Akito then said "Great idea! My car is an FR like yours and it too is a twin-turbo Nissan." Max then said "It sure will run fast if you drive it."

May then said "It won't work." Akito wanted to know why and May said "I am not going to race in somebody else's car. It has to be my own car that I'm used to."

Akito then said that May had a point. Max then said "Driving somebody else's car is not a good thing in the racing world. May, why couldn't you drive Ash's Supra?" May then said "It's in the shop because it needs new struts. Anyway, I will wait until the last minute. That's my only option."

Meanwhile on Mt. Haruna, Kenji looked at his watch and noticed it was quarter to 10:00 PM. He then said "I guess she's not coming." Keisuke then said "Where is she?"

Meanwhile at May and Ash's house, Akito and Max noticed time was running out. Max said "OH, NO! She's not going to make it!" & May said "Where are you, Ash? Please come back! I don't have any more time!"

May then heard something in the distance. She noticed it was her R34. May said "He's back! That sound and roar. IT'S MY R34! He's here." Max then said "You can tell that just from the exhaust sound?" & Akito said "Are you sure it's your car?" May then said "Of course I am. It absolutely is my car!"

Meanwhile on Mt. Haruna, a member of the night kids named Kenichi told Takeshi that the Takahashi brothers had arrived and Takeshi said "Yeah. They must be very anxious about this race. They told me to my face that I would lose. Damn Ryousuke Takahashi! He's not as good as his reputation suggests. I will beat the R34 right in front of him and embarrass him."

Kenichi then said "Let's do it. And if you show that you're faster than the R34 that beat Keisuke Takahashi, we can prove that we're faster than the Red Suns." Takeshi then said "This is a good opportunity to make the crowd realize something. The drift run can never beat the grip run."

Kenichi then said "There you go! It's like your favorite phrase." Takeshi then said "It's a matter of course. The drift run is just a performance to rile up the crowd. It's not a technique for driving fast."

A Night Kids member named Junichi then said "It's just like you to say it firmly." & Takeshi said "I can say this because I went through a drift stage myself when I was driving the S13. A racer who has outgrown the drift run can drive the fastest in the grip run." Kenichi then said "When you lost the R32, it was really shocking."

Takeshi then gazed at Kenichi and Kenichi said "OOPS! That was a no-no." Takeshi then said "Well, I've changed since then. Since that monster defeated me, I'm driving better than ever before in the R32. You can't call yourself a street racer if you stop pursuing races. I can't stand everyone making such a fuss about the drift technique. Come out, R34! Showing off by drifting in your R34 is over."

Takeshi's younger brother Drew then said "There he goes again. He lets his pride and arrogance get the best of him. When he does that, he doesn't think right. However I am interested to see this R34 and its driver."

Keisuke then said "As usual, she doesn't show up until the last minute." & Ryousuke then said "I wonder if she will really show up. Didn't she tell you she had no intention of coming?" Keisuke then said "She's coming. I'm sure of it. She will definitely come."

Meanwhile at May and Ash's house May revved up her R34. She had a talk with Ash. Akito then said "You'd better hurry, May! It's almost time for the race." Max then said "We're sorry Ash. We're taking May with us." Max then got in Akito's Z32. May then took off heading for Mt. Haruna. Akito then said "HEY! WAIT!" He then drove off to Mt. Haruna.

Ash then said to himself "May… Her eyes looked different. What's going on?" Ash then yawned and said "Never mind. With that setting, she'll do a good job."

May and Akito were speeding up the mountain. Max said "We're almost at the pass. I wonder if you can catch up." & Akito said to Max "Sorry to disappoint you, but her car is a twin-turbo 2.6 litre straight-6. This is a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6. Whatever the case may be going downhill, it's no joke if I fall far behind her going uphill. Who do you think I am? I'm the #2 racer of the Haruna Speed Stars."

While driving to the top, Akito and Max noticed how fast May was. Neither one couldn't believe it. Akito thought he could what May did. However, they found out that May was long gone. The time was now 9:55 PM. Kenji said to himself "I guess they weren't able to talk her into it."

He then took a deep breath and said that he should apologize to Takeshi Nakazato. He started to walk up to Takeshi when a car pulled up. Kenji turned his head and found out it was May and her R34.

May said to Kenji "What are you doing sitting in the middle of the road, Kenji?" Kenji became very happy to see May. May then told Kenji to get out of her way or she would run him over. Kenji then moved over for May.

Yuichi then said "Yeah, that's the spirit!" Akito and Max then arrived.

Meanwhile, Ash was home when he picked up the phone. He went "Hello. Ash Morikawa speaking. Oh, Yuichi! Are you there? I wonder what happened to May. She wanted to go to the pass of her own accord." & Yuichi said "I see. Putting that aside, her opponent tonight is an R32. Honestly, does she have a chance?"

Ryousuke then said "She really did show up. You were right, Keisuke." & Keisuke then said "So it seems…" & Ryousuke then said "You were going to tell that R34's driver about the R32's weak point weren't you?"

Keisuke then said "I was, but not anymore. Once I saw her face, I felt nothing but disgust. She's my enemy after all. Besides, she won't lose, even if she doesn't know the R32's weak point."

Meanwhile Yuichi was still talking with Ash on the phone. He asked Ash if he gave May any advice and Ash said "Nothing special, but even the R32 has a weak point."

Ryousuke then said "The R32's weak point is…"

Ash then said "Put simply, the body weight."

Ryousuke then said "The understeer resulting from being super heavy in the front. Even with a tuned pedal and driving technique, this basic fact doesn't change. If you keep driving tough on the downhill, the front tires and brakes will wear out for sure. Even with a tuned brake."

Ash then said "By the time they come to the bottom of the hill, the R32 will have trouble with the understeer going into the turn. If there is any chance of winning, it's in the corners towards the end of the course."

Ryousuke then said "Whether or not the R34 can keep up with the R32 until then… That's the key to this race."

Ash then said "About the R34's foot settings, I changed the settings a little bit." Yuichi then wanted to how he changed the foot settings and Ash said "So that it will heavily understeer when you step on the gas pedal. That's how the foot setting is now."

Yuichi then said "WHAT? Understeer by punching the accelerator?" May's driving uses drift. What were you thinking, Ash? How can she race with that foot setting against the R32?" & Ash said "You don't understand, Yuichi. If you're good enough, the understeer setting allows you to accelerate faster when it's FR. With this setting, it's possible to drive longer at full power."

Meanwhile, May pulled up to the start line. When she stopped, she got out of her car; Takeshi took a look at May. Meanwhile, Takeshi's younger brother Drew said to himself "NO WAY. THE DRIVER OF THAT R34 IS MAY CHAN! THAT CAN'T BE!" May then stared at Takeshi.


	7. Chapter 7: R34 vs R32

May had just arrived on the top of Mount Haruna and when she arrived the crowd went wild. Everybody had been waiting for her to appear so she could race Takeshi Nakazato.

After getting out of her car, she stared at Takeshi with everyone in attendance looking at them.

Takeshi said to himself "Jeez, she's young! Bet she hasn't ever had her license for more than a year! Where could a kid like this learn her technique? I thought for sure I'd be racing someone older than me!"

May then looked at Takeshi's R32 and said to herself "So that's an R32."

Yuichi then said in May's head "It's beyond amazing. That car's in a class by itself. Its driving system combines everything good about FR and 4WD."

Takeshi then said "I am Nakazato, one of the Myogi Night Kids. What's your name?" & May said "My name is May Chan."

Takeshi said "I will remember that. What do you say we get started?"

Meanwhile some spectators were talking about the race. Many said that Takeshi would win.

Yuichi was still talking with Ash on the phone. He said "Now you tell me that heavy understeer during full throttle is the better setting if you have the skills, but if maneuverability is suddenly different, don't you think May's going to panic when she charges into the corners? Maybe you should have warned her."

Ash then said "It wouldn't have done any good. She's not exactly a driver who drives with her head."

Yuichi then said "WHAT? Then all the more reason to tell her!" & Ash said "It's all right. You don't have to worry. See, she might not be too sharp upstairs, but her body and senses are finely tuned. It's too late to think first and react to the information you yell on your back through the seat. Your arms and legs have to move unconsciously to control drifting. That's why you don't need to worry! She has the great sense of knowing when and how to accelerate while the car is drifting. So even if the suspension setting is a little different, it won't matter to her in the least. She'll make minor adjustments and just ride it out. The R34 is a car that trains its driver."

Meanwhile, May got in her car and strapped herself in. Then Takeshi pulled up next to her.

People were at the finish to keep an eye for traffic. One person said that it was all clear and that the race could start at anytime.

Kenji then said "Max! We can go anytime!" Max then said "All right! I'm going to start the countdown! We're starting in ten seconds." May and Takeshi then revved their Nissan Skyline GT-Rs. Akito said "We're all counting on you, May!"

Meanwhile Ryousuke was about to get in his FC when he said "Keisuke, we're going to have the best seats in the house for tonight's race! Now hop in! They're about to start!" Max was in the middle of the countdown. He said "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"

Both May and Takeshi drove off to start. They were even at the start but Takeshi started to pull ahead. Akito then said "The R32 is ahead" & Max said "Yeah, but May's not too far behind!"

Ryousuke was in his car when he saw May and Takeshi drive by. He told Keisuke to fasten his seat belt. Then Ryousuke drove off to follow May and Takeshi.

A couple spectators were watching. One said "That's the FC. Ryousuke Takahashi just dashed out!" & another spectator said "Is he trying to horn in on the race?"

Another spectator said "WHAT THE HECK? Is it going to be a three-way super battle?"

Another person said "Suddenly, it's turned into a race for the fastest in Gunma!"

May was going full throttle to try to pass Takeshi's R32. She was noticing something with Takeshi. She said "The R32 driver. He's slowing down. Is he waiting for me?"

Takeshi then said "It would be a waste to lose her on the straightaway. I want to have a battle here! The real starting line comes as soon as we hit the first corner!"

Takeshi started to pick up the speed a bit while May pulled alongside him.

Keisuke then told Ryousuke "Hey look at that! Nakazato's easing up on the gas and waiting for the R34!" & Ryousuke said "Hope his overconfidence doesn't end up costing him in the last half of the race!"

A guy at the first corner was waiting for both cars. When he saw them coming, he noticed all the cars were in a row.

Takeshi braked for the corner with May and Ryousuke followed him.

Yuichi then said "WOW! It's just like Ash said!"

Takeshi then noticed May's R34 drifting and he said "WHAT THE HELL? No way, miss! Pulling stunts like that's not going to get you caught up to me!"

Takeshi then pulled away a bit but May was in hot pursuit. May then braked for the next corner drifting while keeping her car only a few millimeters off the guardrail. Both May and Ryousuke were trying to catch up with Takeshi.

Ryousuke said "Getting to eyeball it from this close up, that drift looks like a work of art! A four-wheel drift in full throttle, and she's barely applying the countersteer! Do you realize how incredible that is? She's pushing that R34 to its outer limits and controlling it like it was her own hands and feet! Even I can't control the FC like that! It's exciting!"

Keisuke then said "Yeah, maybe, but little by little, Nakazato is gaining ground! Can the R34 win this one?"

Takeshi then started to put a little distance on May. He said "YES! THIS IS IT! It's like I can feel the blood rushing through my veins! This is the battle I've been waiting for! Ready, girl? I'm really going to cut loose now! Let's see how far you can keep up!"

Takeshi and May were speeding through the corners. May then picked up the pace by applying the gas a little more.

She said to herself "Something's different. Something's different with the car! Even if I floor it, the car doesn't lose control. Does this mean I can step on the gas sooner than before? When I was at work today, did Ash fiddle with it? Because it sure wasn't like this when I drove it this morning! Now I get it! That's why he was out before! He was working on this! Don't know why, but anyway, it does feel a whole lot better this way! Because it doesn't slide too much, I can push is all the way!"

May started to become faster and was drifting through the corners with ease. People were watching and couldn't believe how good May was drifting.

Ryousuke then said "That's the first time I've seen somebody drift all the way through that corner!" & Keisuke said "Yeah, she's nuts! She would never be able to do it if she didn't have total mastery over her speed!"

People at the corner where May had just passed were in shock to see her drifting and how it gave them goose bumps.

Both May and Takeshi were driving with everything they had.

At the top of the mountain, someone told Kenji that May was on the tail of Takeshi's R32.

Kenji said "She's doing it! Looks like May is sticking right behind the R32!"

Akito said "Amazing! I mean, Nakazato is an ace, but line him up with Ryousuke Takahashi, another superstar, and you got a battle royal brewing already! And May's racing against both of them? UNBELIEVABLE! I mean, that's too cool!"

Max then said "Well, yeah, but Ryousuke Takahashi and his FC aren't even in the race. He's acting more like a third-person witness."

Kenji then said "Right. May's up against Nakazato here." & Max said "His R32 has the R34 at a disadvantage, but with May at the wheel, the R34 will pull through in the end!" & Kenji said "OH YEAH! May will take it, for sure!" Akito agreed with Kenji and Max.

Meanwhile, Takeshi noticed May was starting to pull away a bid. Both he and May were racing hard.

Keisuke then said "He's creeping further and further away!" & Ryousuke said "Nakazato has got a big mouth, but it looks like he's got the skill to back it up! Look at how he distributes the load, subduing the understeer while driving! He really knows how to draw out the R32's power. Not pretty to look at, but this isn't the time to take it easy."

Keisuke then said "Hey brother, who are rooting for? If the kid loses this one, it's all over!"

Ryousuke then said "The real contest is only about to begin. The first half has comparatively more long straightaways plus there are lots of gentle slopes, too. There are lots of disadvantages for the R34, but the inclines are going to start getting rougher right around here. It's perfect for a downhill specialist to strut their stuff!"

Takeshi then said "ALL RIGHT! This kind of low-gear hairpin curve is right up the R32's alley! All I got to do is cut my speed by slamming on the brakes. Going downhill, like it or not, the front wheels still have to bear the load, so its weakest point, the pushing understeer, hardly occurs. Furthermore, accelerating from a low gear is what this car does better than any other! The fastest machine on the racing circuit is the toughest machine even on open roads! The R emblem on the rear is the legendary symbol for invincibility! Can you get close enough to read it?"

Meanwhile at the top of the mountain Kenji said to Max "I have been thinking. Until now, I though May was just a unique racer who's only fast when racing on Haruna. What if she raced on a different mountain pass? How well would she drive?"

Max said "Well, sure, I've mulled it over. But right now, all I'm thinking about is the battle at hand! WIN, SIS!"

Back to the battle, May was driving with all her might. Ryousuke was following right behind her.

Keisuke said to himself "OH, MAN! My eyes can't keep up with her! Looks like she's finally kicking out the jams! Her inside tires are gripping the rim of the road! This is the one! The trick that I lost to! I Never thought I'd ever get the chance to see it again!" Keisuke then said "Ryousuke has stopped with the chatter. Does that mean there's no time for that now? I've ridden shotgun with him tons of times, but this is the first time I've seen him driving like this! I've never seen him so serious!"

Approaching the skating rink, Takeshi noticed May was getting closer. He couldn't believe she was catching up to him. May then drifted at the next corner.

Takeshi then said "BRILLIANT! Catching up to me after all that, all my prejudice about the R34 has just been blown away! It's a first-rate fighting machine! The R33 was not as good as the R32 but the R34 has taken the GT-R to a whole new level. Okay, the kid gloves are off! Man, this is the best rush I've had in ages! In fact, this has got to the hottest road race I've been in since getting this car."

Takeshi then blazed through an S-curve with May not far behind. At the next corner, May pulled off a great drift to catch up to Takeshi.

Keisuke then said to himself "When it comes to hairpin turns, she can't match the R32! No matter how close the R34 sticks to the R32, the distance always widens after a hairpin! Man, Nakazato has got guts, too. Attacking the road like that, downhill in a heavy-ass R32! May's R34 is lighter in weight and more agile in the corners. Someone told me that her R34 is not 4WD like a regular R34 but rather it's FR."

Meanwhile, May started to close the gap a little bit. Approaching the next corner, May drifted perfectly and started to drive up to Takeshi's rear bumper.

Keisuke then said to himself "The R34 closed the gap at the high-speed corner? Going over 100 KPH while doing a four-wheel drift close enough to graze the guardrail? I don't think any of it has to do with the car's capabilities! That girl has got a screw loose! If she makes one slip-up, she's road kill for sure! But now I understand her secret. With a lightweight car like her R34, if she loses speed once, it takes like forever to get it back up again. She never lets herself lose a fraction of speed more than she has to! Now I finally get why, when I raced against her, she could always catch up to me, no matter how many times I lost her!"

Takeshi then said "CRAP! I can't shake her off my rear bumper! It's the opposite. She's hanging on to me for longer and longer periods! The kid's really tough!" May then drifted into the next corner and was able to maintain the gap.

Keisuke then said to himself "Nakazato is clearing the guardrail by a good 20-30 centimeters. No matter how fast you are, that's about right. Yet the R34's bumper is almost close enough to the rail to make sparks! That girl's in a league of her own! HOW? How can she control a drift with that kind of precision?"

Takeshi then noticed something strange with his R32. He said to himself "Since I've been steering hard and using the ABS, the load on the front tires has been a lot heavier than I thought! This race is suddenly getting much more challenging!"

Both May and Takeshi were blazing through the corners.

Then Ryousuke said to Keisuke "The five hairpins are coming up. That's where she left you in the dust. And I bet that's going to be a key point this time as well." & Keisuke said "An R32 versus an R34. I knew this battle would be fierce but I didn't expect it to be this fierce. Both cars are being taken to their limits. But which one of them is going to win this race?"

Meanwhile at the top of the mountain, someone told Kenji that he could hear the cars coming at the hairpins.

Max said in his head "This is where the race will be won or lost. If May drives perfectly through there, she'll win. If she makes a mistake, then it's all over."


	8. Chapter 8: Five Hairpin Challenge

The battle between May's R34 and Takeshi Nakazato's R32 was starting to get good.

May had been trailing for most of the race but was catching up because Nakazato's R32 was slowing down because he had been steering hard and he was letting the ABS making the load in the front tires heavier than usual.

The two Nissan Skyline GT-R's were approaching the five hairpins which would decide who will win the race.

Ryousuke told his brother "That's where she passed you last week and where the race will be won."

Some people were watching the cars coming to the 1st hairpin and May was on Nakazato's tail and one person said "I can't believe Takeshi is having trouble with that R34!"

May tried to pass on the inside but Nakazato blocked her.

In the first hairpin, May drifted easily and gained momentum while Nakazato seemed to have trouble shaking her off.

Then May nailed an excellently performed braking drift gaining more momentum.

One person said that he had never see someone nail a braking drift like that and another person said "That was an FC and that means Ryousuke Takahashi behind the wheel."

Takeshi said "I watched Keisuke Takahashi lose to that R34 in these hairpins. The R34 turns corners using the gutter."

Keisuke told Ryousuke that Nakazato wasn't giving up the inside and Ryousuke told him "That's Nakazato all right. What's the R34 going to do?"

May went to the outside to try passing Nakazato but she didn't pass him. Some people felt like May was going to crash into them but drifted through the corner without any issues.

Nakazato was getting ticked that May insulted him from the outside.

Ryousuke said "The R32's acceleration was amazing." and Keisuke said "She slid through that narrow corner without difficulty." and Ryousuke told his brother there were 3 corners left and the race would be over.

May and Nakazato were racing into the 3rd hairpin and May was starting to catch up and Keisuke told his brother May was going outside again. Takeshi was starting to real mad because May was irritating him and wanted her to stop messing with him from the outside.

Ryousuke said "The R32's movement's unsteady. Nakazato is losing his patience so watch closely Keisuke because the R34 will make a move."

Keisuke told his brother "There's no room on the inside so how will she pass him?"

At the start line, somebody told Max that May was making a move and Max went "GO FOR IT SIS!"

Nakazato said "This is humiliating. You keep pushing me from the outside in front of these people. I can't attack too much because I have to stay inside too much. One car width should be enough to keep her away from the inside so that way, I can in with more speed."

Coming into the next hairpin May went outside but she shocked Nakazato thinking she crashed but she went to the inside and the under steer on Nakazato's R32 started to act up again.

Takeshi said "She went outside and snuck inside while braking! The R34 can do moves like that?"

Then he said that the race wasn't over and he was going full blast in 2nd gear but lost control of his R32 causing him to crash into the guardrail and Ryousuke made a nice pass to avoid Nakazato.

Nakazato said "I lost. My R32 and I lost. No, I lost."

Takeshi thought that racers like May never existed and surveyed the damage to his car and said "Losing was a shock but I feel satisfied because I gave it my best."

He then said "CRAP! It's another ¥70,000 to fix my car."

Max was so happy May won and Drew said "You know what, I'm glad May won because her skill won the race for her and my brother got cocky at the end."

Yuichi said that Ash was right to adjust May's car because she won.

In a parking lot, Ryousuke told his brother that watching the race was fun.

Keisuke agreed and said "That move she used was amazing by fooling Nakazato to make him think she was going outside but snuck inside while braking. That car has one serious ABS."

Ryousuke laughed and said "You don't get it Keisuke. I did some research on that car and it's the Spec-V model. It's different from regular R34's because it's FR and it doesn't have Anti-Lock Brakes because street racers who use ABS are at a big disadvantage because they can't learn the strict pedal control required to stop before the brakes lock and after all, ABS can't outperform the right foot of a highly skilled driver like her and it's been a while since I got that into a race. That R34 is a worthy target for us."

May came back home and looked at her car and then Ash said to her "Why are you starring at your car?"

May said "Nothing. I'm going to bed Ash."

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, Max was hanging out with Akito and Kenji and talked about the race. But then, a red Toyota Supra came to the station and the driver who came out was none other than Ash.

Max said in surprise "What are you doing here Ash?" Ash told Max "Isn't this the place where you hang out a lot?" and Max replied by saying yes.

Ash told him that he is also a street racer and holds a record on the Irohazaka course.

Max was amazed by what Ash told him. Max told Ash that he was going to drive on Mount Haruna later and wanted him to come.

Ash said "That sounds great Max! Pick me up at 7:30 PM. I have to go to work now but I'll see you later.

Akito said to Max "Who was that you were talking to?"

Max told him "I talked to the one and only Ash Morikawa who happens to be the person taking care of my sister and I was going to take him on a ride on Mount Haruna tonight."

Akito said "Sounds like someone good."

Later, Max picked Ash up at his house in Max's NSX.

Two 180SXs were on Haruna and the names were Nobuhiko who drove a silver 180SX and two friends named Makoto and Mamoru with Makoto driving a blue 180SX were talking about how great the R34 is.

Then a car came and Nobuhiko said "Looks like we have company."

Mamoru said "That's a Honda NSX."

Makoto said "That sure looks like an NSX."

Max got out of the car and said "You can't find any pass like this in Gunma. It's really fast on the straightaway and it corners really well."

Ash then asked what Max was doing and Max said "If you look at my NSX, it's really handsome."

Ash agreed and replied by saying "You're right. The NSX is one neat looking car."

Then the 3 racers came up to Max and Ash and Nobuhiko said "What are you doing here?"

Makoto said "They look like racers to me but the car isn't the car that beat the R32 last night."

Mamoru said "Do you have licenses because I will call the cops if you don't" and both Ash and Max told them yes they have licenses.

Makoto said to Mamoru "Stop insulting them or I will call the cops on you Mamoru. I hate to be rude to you two but do you live in Haruna?"

Max and Ash said yes they lived in Haruna and Nobuhiko said "Do you know the person who drives an R34?"

Ash said "I have heard of her but she's not coming tonight." and Makoto said "A girl races an R34? I didn't know that but we came here for nothing."

Mamoru said "I will tell you what, kid. You do look like you're a racer but your NSX is ugly as heck and get a car like a Celica or even better, a Honda S2000."

Ash was pissed when the three guys insulted Max and told him "They asked for it so now they're going to get it. I will drive your car Max to show these goofballs what an NSX is capable of doing."

Max said "Are you going to chase them? It's a nice car and I don't want anyone to crash it."

Ash seriously said to Max "It doesn't matter." and Max said "We don't have to do this." but Ash told him "SHUT UP AND PUT YOUR DAMN SEATBELT ON! It could be rough but trust me Max; I won't crash your NSX or get anyone hurt. SO LET'S DO IT MAX!"


	9. Chapter 9: Shingo Arrives

When we last left off, some punks were teasing Max and Ash on Mount Haruna saying that Max's NSX was ugly.

Then Ash told Max to get in Max's NSX for some payback after what the guys did to insult Max and Ash.

Max yelled at Ash by screaming "PLEASE TAKE CARE OF MY CAR!"

Ash was flooring the pedal in Max's NSX to get to the people who insulted them earlier and Max said "I AM TELLING YOU IT'S NOT WORTH IT. PLEASE SLOW DOWN!"

Mamoru was leading Makoto and Nobuhiko.

Makoto made a nice drift but little did the drivers in the 180SXs know that Ash was closing up on them.

Nobuhiko said to Makoto "That NSX is on our tail." and Makoto said "You picked the wrong people to tailgate."

Makoto honked his horn at Mamoru and Mamoru said "So you want to play with us."

Max was telling Ash that he had enough and wanted to get out and Ash ignored Max.

Ash drifted Max's NSX into a corner without any problems and Ash was gaining ground on the thugs who messed with him and Max earlier.

Max said calmly "Unbelievable! Is this what my NSX is capable of doing? I think I have not released its inner power yet but Ash seems to be doing that. AMAZING!"

Nobuhiko was amazed at how well Ash was driving and couldn't believe he was catching up with them.

Makoto said "There's no way an NSX could keep up with us. You're right Nobuhiko! IT'S THAT NSX!" and Nobuhiko said to Makoto that they lied to them.

Ash was trying his best to pass Makoto's 180SX but he had some problems because he thought there was no grip at all in the rear tires plus he complained that the car was slow.

Ash then used the gutter to pass Makoto's 180SX and then went after Mamoru's 180SX.

Mamoru said "You won't pass me so quit messing around with me."

Then Mamoru was shocked that Ash passed him without any trouble and Mamoru said "WHAT HAPPENED? DID THAT NSX PASS ME AND HOW DID HE DO IT? I AM SO SHOCKED! RACERS LIKE THAT EXIST? INCREDIBLE!"

Makoto and Mamoru stopped and Mamoru said "He went through us." and Nobuhiko said "That NSX was spooky." All three screamed "WAS IT A GHOST?"

Ash said to Max "You want some water?" Max replied by saying yes and the two talked about how Ash was much different from anyone else he has ever watched race.

Max said to Ash "Akito said that your skills were abnormal." Ash said "Abnormal? I don't think so." Max said "You don't see it yourself. I never imagined a car could run like that and you have changed my perception. It was shocking."

Ash apologized about how scary it was for Max but Max told Ash there wasn't a need for an apology and had never been this happy before.

Ash was stunned by what Max said and Max said "I realized it wasn't about the car's capabilities. If you have skills, you can maneuver an NSX like that. I feel like I love my car and I will take good care of it. I will train hard to be like my sister. I don't care if people laugh at me because my NSX is the best NSX in the world. Next time, how about May comes along with us. That would be cool if May got to feel how you drove my NSX."

Ash said yes and Max told him to blow it off.

The next day at the gas station, Max was getting his NSX washed and Akito said "YEAH! My Z32 is now tuned to the max. It has more than 315 HP now. I am going to start to cry."

Max drove up to park his NSX but almost ran over Yuichi

Yuichi yelled at Max because Max almost ran Yuichi over.

Max said "I was so amazed at Ash's downhill techniques last night."

Yuichi and Akito said to Max "ASH DROVE THE R34 LAST NIGHT?"

Max said "Yes but it wasn't the R34. It was my NSX."

Yuichi and Akito interrogated Max about last night but Max confessed.

Max said "Last night, Ash drove my NSX on Mount Haruna and it was beyond my imagination and I have never seen anything like it. Even before a corner he was drifting and all I could see was the blur of the scenery in the windshield and it was awesome."

Then a feminine voice said "Ash drifted in your NSX? I don't think it has limited slip differential, bro."

Max said "WHO THE HECK WAS THAT TALKING TO ME?"

Max then found out it was his sister.

May said to Max "What are you doing here Max."

Max said to May "I am hanging out with the guys so is that OK with you.?"

May said "Are you serious Max?"

Then May said in her mind "If my brother's telling the truth, Ash can drive any car and make it look so easy."

At a restaurant Akito and Kenji were walking back to Akito's Z32 when they saw a red EG-6.

Kenji said "That car had a Night Kids sticker on it."

Akito said "It has street racing written all over it."

Kenji told Akito that it was modified from any other car. Akito said "The Night Kids have been here a lot lately so what do they want?"

Kenji said "Since their leader Takeshi Nakazato lost, I don't think anyone from their team will come out for a rematch."

Akito started his car and he and Kenji left to go home.

In the restaurant Shingo Shoji said "I feel bad for Takeshi now that he has to that Three-four, he can't act invisible anymore."

His friend, Yutaka told a waiter that they wanted a cup of coffee each and told Shingo that the driver of the R34 is a girl and is only 16 years old.

Shingo said to Yutaka "I don't know how good she is but when I beat that R34, I will be better than Takeshi."

Yutaka said "I am not sure Shingo. I know you're fast downhill but she is something else. She's like someone who has been racing for years."

Shingo said "I know I can take her fair and square but I have a more interesting idea which will ensure me victory. You will see Yutaka I will show her an impressively dangerous downhill run because the world only needs one downhill specialist and the R34's outdated. I will make sure it ends up at a scrap yard. Shingo Shoji of the Night Kids is the fastest downhill racer in Gunma."

The next day somewhere in Akagi, Keisuke drove to a parking lot to talk with Hiroshi.

Hiroshi asked where Ryousuke was and Keisuke told him "He's at home on his computer". He sure loves doing that and is the only street racer in Gunma who trains by looking at a computer screen. I wonder what would happen if my brother took on that R34."

Hiroshi told Keisuke "There is no way Ryousuke would lose to that R34 and he must know a lot about that R34 and has all the data he needs to create a simulation of a winning race in his head."

Keisuke said "No one knows more about cars than my brother and I can't imagine him losing considering his exceptional skills but that R34 won't lose either."

Hiroshi wanted to know why and Keisuke told him "That high speed drifting and brake control makes her something special. I may have fallen for the way that R34 runs. If they race, one is going to lose. I hope it's not my brother but for some reason I don't want that R34 to lose."

Later that day, Max, Akito and Kenji were on Mount Haruna testing their cars.

Max was driving his NSX and Akito and Kenji were watching in amazement.

Max told Akito and Kenji "I am getting used to moving the rear sideways. It's all about timing."

Kenji said "You pull the emergency brake to start the drift.

Akito wanted to know why didn't Ash use the E-brake and Max said "He uses the pedal brake to shift the weight. We usually go into a corner and then accelerate to skid the rear tires right before coming out but that's a power slide and that's elementary.

May and Ash drift into a corner and control the skid at the end to stabilize the car and that's a true drift. That's the fastest way to turn and it looks good as well."

Kenji said "It looks like you have done some research." Max said "I look at magazines where Keiichi Tsuchiya drifts so I think I'm ready for the next step by doing it in a low speed corner."

Kenji and Akito said good luck to Max and to look out for other cars.

Max was driving and seemed to know what he was doing and said "It's really hard to be in total control of your car and I wish I could be like my sister. I want to ride with her to see how she does it in her R34."

A red hatchback was coming fast and Max forgot to pay attention. The hatchback hit Max's bumper and Max was getting really furious. Then the car hit Max again in the rear causing Max to spin out but was fortunate not to hit the wall.


	10. Chapter 10: The FR Killer

When we last left, Max was spun out by a red EG-6 on Mount Haruna.

While Max was spinning, Shingo read the sticker and said "SPEED STARS, HUH?"

Max knew he had a close call and was furious.

Shingo left after Max stopped spinning and Max said in anger "That punk bumped me on purpose. YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!"

Max went after Shingo's EG-6 with a vengeance. Shingo said "I wonder if a Haruna punk can follow me."

Max said to himself "He is crazy. Don't INSULT me!"

Max was losing control of his NSX however he was catching up to Shingo and then Max said "What incredible speed."

Max watched the EG-6 go into a corner at a high speed was amazed at how he did it.

Max said "Braking while cornering at that speed? Darn, I can't keep up with him and I have the more powerful car. This is a nightmare! How could I lose to an EG-6? IMPOSIBLE! That EG-6 could be faster than my sister but who is driving it?"

Shingo was driving on Haurna and left to go back to Myogi.

The next day, Max, May, Akito, and Kenji were at the gas station. Koichiro was finished filling up a Corolla and said thank you to the customer when he was done.

Max was talking to Yuichi about his ride last night saying he was really mad.

Yuichi said "He was braking while cornering at high speed?"

Max told Yuichi that he had never seen anything like it.

May said "Are you serious? Everyone does that. I step on the brake while cornering all the time."

May simulated how she would corner and Max interrupted by saying "This is no amateur racer sis. That EG-6 took those downhill corners with such a high speed."

May said "WHAT THE HECK IS AN EG-6?"

Akito told May "It's a Honda Civic Si-R hatchback and it's very popular among street racers. What makes it different is it's a front wheel drive unlike most cars which are rear wheel drive. It's powered by a 1.6 litre non-turbo 4 cylinder engine but it has V-TEC which produces a lot of power. It's Japan's best selling compact car because of its fuel economy but the Corolla is popular as well."

Max said "Anyways, I can't believe it went in at a high speed and then braked."

Yuichi told Max "It's a technique called left foot braking." and Max said "What's left foot braking?"

Yuichi said "You don't use it if you drive a car with rear wheel drive but you brake using your left foot to stabilize the car at a high speed. With an FF like the EG-6, you need your right foot on the gas continuously so you can avoid under steering so you use your left foot to take the weight off the rear tires plus turn sharper. He must be an experienced FF driver to use that technique and I'm sure he's fast."

Max said "That guy was fast but he's a punk because he bumped into my rear bumper. I didn't crash only because I practiced spinning with the emergency brake or otherwise, I wouldn't be here talking with you guys. I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT EG-6 PAY!"

Later that day, May came home and found out Ash wasn't home. May saw a note that said "MAY, I'M AT WORK. MAX CALLED AND WANTED TO SO SOMETHING WITH YOU. I WILL BE HOME BY 7:00 PM. ASH"

May said to herself "He went to work. Well, I better call Max to see what he wants to do." May called Max and Max said he wanted May to drive him in her R34 on Mount Haruna.

May got changed and headed to her parents' house to pick up Max and then they were off to Mount Haruna.

Max said to May "I wanted you to do this because I want to see what your driving is like because I feel like I need to improve and you are the only one who can teach me."

Akito and Kenji were on the mountain pass because they were eager to see how May drives her R34.

May revved up her car and Akito told Max "DON'T PASS OUT!"

Max said "I won't. This should be fun, Akito." May drove off and asked Max what he wanted her to do first.

Max said "How about you show me a braking drift?"

May told Max "Okay!"

Max said "Are you nuts doing it in the first corner? Aren't we going in a little too fast?" Max screamed and May drifted in the first corner beautifully and without a problem.

Meanwhile, at the top of the pass, Kenji said "I hope Max is all right. I hate to see him pass out." Akito agreed with Kenji and said "Max is my best friend. I would hate to see him so out of it."

Meanwhile, May was still driving and then Max said "If she can drift effortlessly in her R34, she can do it in any car."

May said "This car is fast and very agile. I can keep control of the car without any problems because I can correct the problem."

Max said "We have only gone through 3 turns."

May said "Now, I'm ready to drift." Max said "What was she doing before? Was she preparing for a drift?"

May drifted without problems in the next corner and Max was starting to feel queasy because they were going fast.

May said "I think I got it on that last turn." and Max said "It's too advanced for me to understand how she can do that stuff."

May decided to turn back to the top and when Max got out, Akito said "Man, you look wasted."

Max said "That was fun and brutal. She was going so fast, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack."

Kenji said "Did you see how she does a braking drift?" Max said "I didn't get a chance because she did it so quickly that I'm not even close to understanding her technique and I feel like a better racer already."

May said "Looks like we have some company guys." Max said "IT'S HIM! It's the EG-6 from yesterday."

Shingo stared at Max, May, Kenji, and Akito.

Max went after Shingo and said "YOU PUNK! I know you were the one who hit me from behind yesterday so I am demanding an apology."

Shingo said "WHO ARE YOU?" Max said "Don't you remember this NSX from yesterday?"

Shingo went "Oh, it's you."

Max was really demanding an apology from Shingo and Shingo said "Are you blaming me for your own shortcomings? The car in front of me was going so slow that I couldn't handle it. I never thought it would go that slow. I tried to brake but I bumped you."

Max was starting to lose his temper and Kenji held Max so there wouldn't be a fight.

May called Shingo a jerk because he was ruining her brother's pride.

Shingo said "If you insist, we will race under my rules. This race will be a duct tape death match. Your right hand's taped to the steering wheel and then race."

Max said "BRING IT ON! I'M NOT BACKING OUT OF THIS CHALLENGE!" but then a voice said "It's too dangerous."

Max said "WHO WAS THAT?" The guy came out and it was none other than Ash.

Max said to Ash "What are you doing here Ash? Don't get involved in my business because it's between me and him."

Ash said "Did you listen to me? I said it's too dangerous so let me race."

Shingo said "FINE! It's your Supra against my EG-6. Saturday at 9:00 PM."

Shingo left and Ash said "I will avenge you. I am doing this so neither you or May end up in the hospital."


	11. Chapter 11: Before the Dangerous Race

When we last left off, Max went after Shingo Shoji of the Night Kids but Kenji calmed him down before a fight would start. Max wanted to race Shingo but then Ash appeared and said he would race him because it was too dangerous for Max or his sister May.

Shingo challenged Ash to a duct tape death match and it would Saturday at 9:00 PM. Ash looked very concerned because he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into.

May said "GO FOR IT, ASH! I KNOW YOU CAN WIN!"

Akito said "I want you to beat that jerk so badly, he won't know what hit him."

Max said "It's risky because he can't steer properly but I think he can win because he is such a talented racer. He is taking it too seriously. Ash, it's too risky so don't take the bait."

Ash said "I will not lose to this punk. I'm doing this because I don't want Max or May hurt and they're inexperienced as well. I will do whatever it takes to win and make him forgive you."

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, Max was washing his car so it didn't look dirty. Max told Yuichi about this duct tape death match.

Yuichi said "Duct Tape Death Match? That's reckless. So will May race this guy?"

Max said no and he explained to him "Ash is racing him so me or my sister doesn't get hurt."

Yuichi said to Max that was a good idea because May and Max are inexperienced and could get badly injured.

Akito said "It shouldn't be a problem because I think Ash's car is a Toyota Supra and it sounds like it has at least 350 HP." Max said "How can he get so much power?" and Akito said "His Supra has a 2JZ-GTE engine. It's a 3 litre twin turbo straight six. That's how he can get such power."

Yuichi said to the guys "In my day, we raced a variety of ways under different rules, but the duct tape death match was one the most dangerous races we were in."

Akito asked Yuichi if the Duct Tape Death Match was dangerous and Yuichi said it was very dangerous. Akito wanted Max to get in his NSX to try it out. Akito told Max to keep his right hand on the steering wheel at all times. Max steered to the left and was screaming in pain and Akito told Max to keep the steering wheel where it was. Max came out of his NSX then told Akito how you could corner like that.

Akito said "I think Koichiro should explain it to you. KOICHIRO!"

Koichiro came and said "What do you want Akito?"

Akito said "My buddies want to know why a duct tape death match is so dangerous."

Koichiro said "Steering can only be used to initiate the turn so you have to turn with the rear tires all the time.

Max said "WHAT? Ash is a really experienced racer so he shouldn't have trouble."

Koichiro said "It's not that easy because you can't counter which makes it harder to control the drift which will make the car over steer resulting in a spin."

Yuichi said "This rule favors an FF driver because its accelerator eliminates over-steering so he can attack corners at full speed. It also eliminates "UNDER." An FR like a Supra needs to continuously drift through a narrow area as if walking on a tightrope. It's better to avoid it."

When Yuichi was done talking, Kenji came and said "I did a little research on that punk from yesterday. He's Shingo Shoji of the Myogi Night Kids plus he's #2 on the team only behind that Takeshi guy with the R32 May raced about 2 weeks ago. However, he's confident enough to call himself the fastest downhill racer of the Night Kids. He'll stop at nothing to reach his goals so he's not popular with his teammates, especially their leader, Takeshi Nakazato."

Koichiro said "I see. That's why he's challenging Ash so he can take over the Night Kids."

Akito said "He has been spreading a rumor about this already. The rumor is the Speed Stars are scared and avoiding Shingo's challenge and didn't mention anything about duct tape so he's making us look bad."

Max was now getting angry and said "That Shingo person is nothing but a jerk." Then, a red Supra came to the station and Max said "OH BOY! ASH IS HERE!"

Ash said "Why are you guys looking at me so strangely?"

At a restaurant, Shingo's friend Yutaka asked Shingo "I don't get why you're not racing that R34."

Shingo said to Yutaka "Did you hear that guy say he didn't want her involved? I think he may have done the right thing because she looks like she's only 16 years old but this guy looks like he has raced for some time."

Then Takeshi came and said "Shingo, I hear you are planning something big. Do what you want but don't do anything to insult the Night Kids' name."

Shingo started to laugh and Takeshi asked what was so funny.

Shingo said "Isn't it you who insulted our name? I wonder who lost to that R34 against a powerful and fast R32. A loser like you should be off sulking somewhere. Still acting like a leader and giving me a lecture you make me laugh. I will avenge you Takeshi."

Shingo and Yutaka left and Takeshi was alone and said to himself "Shingo, someday you will find out how fierce that R34 is."

Yutaka said to Shingo "Takeshi is on the skids. He's pitiful. Shingo, you're the new leader of the Night Kids."

Shingo chuckled and then said "First, I have to send that Supra to the scrap yard."

The next day in Haruna, May was getting ready for school and Ash was getting ready for work. It was a Thursday and May would not get home until 8:00 PM because she will have to go to the police station after she's done with school. Later that day, Koichiro, Akito, Kenji and Max were at the gas station where they were talking about the "Duct Tape Death Match" Saturday night. Then a 300ZX like Akito's came but it was silver. It pulled up to one of the gas pumps.

Max said "Wait a minute. Is that Solidad Garcia Sandoval?"

Max came up to Solidad and said to her "What are you doing here, Solidad."

Solidad said "Hey Max! Long time no see."

Max said "Yeah. It's been a long time since we met."

Solidad went "It sure has. Listen the reason why I am here in Haruna is I heard a rumor that May was taking Shingo Shoji of the Night Kids in a "Duct Tape Death Match."

Max said "Well, Ash is racing him because he didn't want May to get hurt."

Solidad was shocked at what Max said to her and told Max "You're kidding me? Ash is taking on that Shingo guy of the Night Kids? That sounds interesting. Listen, can you fill up my car?"

Max filled up Solidad's car and Solidad said to Max "Is it Okay if I watch this race Saturday?"

Max said it would be okay and then Solidad left.

A minute later, Shingo arrived. Shingo said "I don't need gas. I came here to get the answer to my invitation."

Max told Shingo "Ash Morikawa is your opponent and he is going to race you Saturday night so consider it a done deal." When Max was done talking with Shingo, Shingo left the gas station.

That night, May got home and again Ash was at work. May changed from her cop uniform to wearing a Nismo T-shirt, a grey sports jacket, and a blue pair of Adidas pants.

May ran to her parents' house and told her dad Norman "Listen dad. I have to borrow Max's NSX because he didn't drive to the gas station and I think he's still there."

Norman said she could take her brother's NSX to pick him. When May was finished with her dad, she went to Yuichi's gas station to pick up Max.

At the gas station, Max saw his NSX coming and said "That's my car. I wonder who's driving it."

May pulled in the station and Max went "MAY?"

May said to Max "Get in the car. I'm taking you home." Max said "See you tomorrow guys."

When May was driving, Max told her "I saw Solidad Garcia Sandoval today."

May went "NO WAY! You saw Solidad Garcia Sandoval?"

Max said "Yes. She lives in Maebashi now. She's coming to the race Saturday."

May said "Cool. I have not seen her in almost 3 years so it feels good I'm going to see her again."

May dropped Max off at Norman and Caroline's house. Norman and Caroline are the parents of May and Max but May lives with Ash. When May was done, she walked back to her home.


	12. Chapter 12: Supra vs EG6

DATE- JANUARY 30, 1999

While Max was washing a car, Kenji said "Tonight's when Ash takes on Shingo Shoji in that duct tape death match. I can't wait."

Max said he couldn't wait as well. Ash came to the station to tune up his Supra. When Ash pulled in, Max wanted to know why Ash was here.

Ash said "HELLO MAX! I came here to tune my Supra for tonight's race. I think some adjustments to the rear of my car will help me corner better."

Max agreed with Ash because the rear wheels would be crucial to cornering in this race. Before Ash went to Haruna, he asked Takumi for advice for a duct tape death match.

Takumi said "You have to control the car in corner at all times or you will spin out."

At 6:00 PM, May Max, Akito, Koichiro, Kenji and Ash were on Mount Haruna waiting for Shingo and his gang.

At 6:15, Soildad arrived in her Z32.

Akito said to her "Hey you got a Z32 like me but mines in blue and yours is silver."

Solidad said that it was cool that she and Akito drove Z32's.

In Akagi, Ryousuke was on his computer when his brother Keisuke yelled at him.

Keisuke told his older brother "Ashton Morikawa is racing in a duct tape death match. His opponent drives a red EG-6 and is Myogi's #2 racer. I don't know what he's thinking but this is risky business. This is an FR killer. I think we should check it out so let's go Haruna right now."

Ryousuke said "Sounds interesting. Let's go check it out."

Ryousuke and Keisuke got in Ryousuke's FC and drove off to Mount Haruna. Meanwhile, May and Max were wondering when Shingo was going to come.

Then, a white FC drove by and Max said "What's Ryousuke Takahashi doing here? He has no business in this race."

After the Takahashi brothers arrived, Max was shocked to see Keisuke came with Ryousuke and Ash wanted to know why Ryousuke was on Mount Haruna.

Ryousuke told Ash "I am here to watch your race so is that okay?"

Ash said it would be okay.

In Myogi, Yutaka said to Shingo "Let's get going." and Drew, Takeshi's brother said "Man I hate Shingo. He is so mean. I'm glad I'm not part of the Night Kids."

Shingo and Yutaka got in their cars then drove to Haruna with Drew trailing them in his blue 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. While driving to Haruna, Shingo said "That guy's really asking for it. Victory is mine and he will end at the bottom of the cliff and then I will become the #1 racer of the Myogi Night Kids."

There wasn't many people on Haurna because it was only May, Max, Akito, Kenji, Ash, Solidad, Ryousuke and Keisuke Takahashi. At 9:00 PM. Shingo and his crew arrived. Ash said he was ready for anything and Drew decided to stand next to May.

May said to Drew "What are you doing here?" Drew said "I wanted to watch Ash race. I heard he's a great racer so that's why I am cheering for him. I hate Shingo a lot because he's selfish."

Before the race began, both drivers would have someone tape their hand to the steering wheel. May said she was going to do the countdown for the race.

She went "We are starting in 10 seconds. 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! GO!"

Both cars were off to an excellent start and were neck and neck heading into the first turn. Ash had the early lead and May said "You can do it Ash. I know you can beat this guy."

Shingo said "Don't get cocky. The B-16A engine is the best there is. I'm not losing to some 2JZ-GTE engine. Yes you have a powerful engine but this race favors me because I'm driving an FF."

Ash was leading but Shingo was closing up on him and Ash said "How am I going to beat this maniac at his own game?"

Someone said "I wonder if he can really make any of the corners." Another person said "Here they come and the Supra is leading.

Ash drifted into a corner but Shingo said "You're enthusiastic but aren't you forgetting something? Here it goes. It's over."

Ash drifted into the corner and almost crashed but was able to save the car from hitting the wall.

Ash said "I am lucky I made that corner or otherwise I would have been seriously injured."

While the 2 were still battling, May and Max were starting to get nervous.

May said to Max "How about we follow them."

Max said okay and then May drove off to catch up with Shingo and Ash.

She was doing this because if Ash crashed and got hurt, someone would be there to help him out.

Solidad saw Drew and wanted to talk with because she hadn't seen him in 3 years too.

Solidad asked Drew who was going to win and they both said Ash would win.

Shingo said "How is he doing that? He continues to clear the corners with little counter. That's unbelievable because a duct tape death match can't be mastered instantly. The safer you try to go; the deeper you sink like an ant-lion trap. I had to train for hours before I mastered the duct tape death match. On a straight line, power is crucial but in a corner no 2JZ-GTE can beat a B-16A."

Ash was still leading and Shingo was playing catch up while they were approaching the skate center.

Ash said "I have never done a duct tape death match before but I seem to be doing well for a first-timer. My car is coming to me and that's a good thing."

May said to Max "We caught up to them so watch how Ash corners because it's amazing."

While Shingo was trying to catch up with Ash, he said "He's unaffected by my pressure. He was unstable at the beginning but he gets sharper as we go on."

The two were approaching where the Takahashi brothers were while they were watching the race. Keisuke said that they would be there soon.

Ryousuke said "If he couldn't reach this spot, I'd be wrong about him. I know it's not the R34 but that R34 is a worthy target for us."

As the cars were approaching, another car was coming up the mountain and it turned out to be a Ford SVT Mustang. Both Shingo and Ash were able to avoid wrecking the car and Keisuke said "He four-wheeled drifted through one lane without crossing the center line. Incredible!"

Ryousuke said "He did it like it was nothing. What's that car coming ahead?"

Keisuke said "I have no idea. It's a car I've never seen before."

May was driving her R34 and surprised Ryousuke. Ryousuke said "I don't think that R34 is in the race but must be following them so if someone gets hurt, they can help whoever is in pain."

Shingo said "What a fake! It'll be hard to label him as a fake if he keeps that up but I'm not like Takeshi and all I have to do is win no matter what it takes."

Ash started to drift into the next corner and Shingo bumped him causing Ash to spin out but he recovered without any damage to his Supra and May had to slow down to avoid hitting Ash.

Someone in the crowd said "WOW! After a spin, he turned 360 degrees then started driving again as if nothing happened."

Shingo said "He got lucky but he would have been done had it been a high-speed corner. That's all right. Victory is mine anyways so you don't have a chance of catching up with me."

Ash was now starting to gain big momentum to catch up with Shingo.


	13. Chapter 13: Ash's Inner Fury

When we last left off, Ash was gaining a lot ground on Shingo and wanted revenge for spinning out.

Ash said in anger "I AM PISSED OFF! HE DID THAT ON PURPOSE! I WON'T LOSE TO A LOW-LIFE SCUMBAG LIKE YOU!"

Ash cut the lead to only six-tenths of a second and was not going to give up. Ash again drifted into the next corner but he took the car into the grass but was able to keep it from crashing and got it back on the road. At the next corner, Ash hit the wall a little but it didn't do much damage and someone said "Did he hit the guardrail on purpose? He used the rebound to reverse-drift!"

Another guy "What's that Supra thinking?" That kind of driving is reckless and stupid."

Shingo's lead was now about 2 seconds over Ash but Ash was starting to gain ground again.

May said to Max "I can't believe when he hit the guardrail that he reverse-drifted to recover. That's amazing and I have to give credit to Ash because if I did that, I would wreck my car."

Ash was really starting to gain huge ground on Shingo and Shingo said in disbelief "Are you serious? The Supra is closing the gap! IMPOSSIBLE!"

Another person watching said "Does that Supra have a death wish? He has lost his cool."

Takeshi said "When an average racer loses his cool, that's it. He keeps making mistakes so he can't go as fast as he wants. But this guy is different because his innate driving sense takes over and controls the Supra. The hotter he gets, the faster he goes. This race is over, Shingo."

Shingo said "DARN! My EG-6 I think has been running near its limit. What the heck is going on?"

Ash was still on Shingo's bumper heading into the next couple of corners

Shingo then said "I am scared! I've never felt this scared in a downhill race before."

The gap stayed about the same at the next 3 corners.

Shingo then said "He's on my tail! I can't believe my EG-6; best in its class is being overtaken by an overweight Supra! It's not about speed anymore. It's something fundamentally different. That Supra is unreal. All I have to do make sure he doesn't pass me. After these hairpin turns, the finish is near. I WILL WIN THIS RACE!"

The two were approaching the first of the 5 hairpins that would determine the winner. Ash was using the inside to pass Shingo which infuriated him.

Shingo said "Don't think I will give you the inside!"

Ash then edged out and Shingo was shock to see Ash pass him

Shingo then said "NO! Is he going to bump me back?"

Shingo then got a little loose pushing him to the outside.

Shingo then said "OH, NO! I'M GOING TO CRASH!"

Ash then used the gutter to pass Shingo on the inside and regained the lead.

Shingo said "I thought he was going to bump me, but that cornering! He slipped right through on the inside."

People were cheering for Ash when they passed by the straight leading to the second hairpin. Shingo got very mad when Ash passed him and then said "THAT'S INCOMPREHENSIBLE!"

May was still following Shingo and Ash in her R34 and said "It's amazing no one has crashed yet."

Max said "I hope Ash is okay."

May said to her brother "Ash is doing fine. This race certainly has taken a toll on both racers but neither racer want to give up. These hairpins will decide the winner."

Max then said "You're right. In both your races, you made your move at the five consecutive hairpins. I wonder if Ash will make his move at one of the hairpins."

May then said to herself "This is becoming more than a race. It's becoming a battle of stamina. Both racers should be feeling really fatigued by now.

Meanwhile, Drew who was pretty far behind was also trying to catch up to Ash and Shingo. He said to himself "The duct tape death match is not for the faint of heart. I have known Ash for some time and he is doing very well in this race. Despite this being the first time he's done this, I thought he would throw in the towel by now. But Ash is resilient and has shown great determination. GO ASH! WIN THIS RACE TO SHUT UP SHINGO!"

Shingo and Ash were now heading towards the second hairpin. Coming out the hairpin, Ash extended his lead by a little but Shingo was not letting Ash pull away.

Shingo laughed a bit then said "This death match was my idea. If I lose, I will become the laughing stock of the team. I will make sure to protect my pride, even if it means a tie. This is a short, straight line, but the B-16A engine can get me side by side with him. He can't escape. How about ending this race with a double crash?"

Ash then saw Shingo pull near him. He said "HE'S TRYING TO WRECK ME! I WON'T ALLOW THIS MANIAC TO LET THAT HAPPEN!"

Shingo then turned his car to the left to wreck himself and Ash but Ash drifted at the next hairpin to avoid being wrecked by Shingo.

May watched the action and said "WHAT'S THAT GUY IN THE EG-6 THINKING? HE'S GOING TO WRECK BOTH HIMSELF & ASH! THIS GUY'S INSANE!"

Max said "LOOK AT ASH! He's drifting to avoid the EG-6 wrecking him."

Shingo then hit the guardrail and then his car jumped up a little bit. When May passed by, she too drifted at the hairpin to avoid a collision with Shingo.

May then said "That was too close for comfort. I thought I was going to crash right into him."

Max then said to May "Thankfully, you didn't wreck and the car's in one piece."

Shingo then hit the guardrail again when he landed damaging his left headlight. His car then slid backwards and hit the guardrail with a slight touch.

At the final corner, spectators were waiting to see Ash & Shingo. One spectator heard tires screeching and wanted to know who was winning. Another guy told him he thought Shingo was winning. But when Ash came into view, the spectators were shocked to see him leading.

As Ash drifted through the final corner, people were watching him. Ash was so close to the guardrail that he nearly hit a spectator.

One spectator said "What's wrong with him?" and then the spectator who was nearly run over by Ash said "Was he going to kill me or what?"

Ash then drove off to go home.

One of the people at the corner said to another guy "The EG-6 is not coming. What happened to Shingo?"

May then drove by the final corner and then she went to follow Ash.

One of the spectators pointed out that May's R34 passed by another one said "She isn't racing. She was probably following the action from behind."

Meanwhile, Shingo was holding his wrist because he broke it during the crash. Shingo also looked at his car. It was leaking fluid and had scrapes down the left side of it.

Drew then pulled up to check on Shingo. He said to him "Are you okay? That looked like a pretty nasty crash you took Shingo."

Shingo didn't respond to Drew.

Then Drew said "Get in my car. I will take you to the hospital. It's faster than calling and waiting for an ambulance."

Shingo then said "I can't let you do that much. Just make a phone call for me, Drew."

Drew then said to Shingo "Don't act so tough. You're hurt. You're lucky however that the crash wasn't worse than what it was. When we crash, we help each other. I know where the hospital is."

Shingo then said "Thanks, Drew. I owe you one. That guy's unbelievable. Who is he, anyway?"

Drew then got Shingo in his car and called for a tow truck for Shingo's car.

The next night at May and Ash's house, Ash was outside looking at his Supra. May came over to see him

Ash said "Man that was a tough race. I'm glad I won but the right side is all scratched."

May then said "I saw you race. That was surely one tough race. At least you won which is something I'm glad about."

Ash then sighed and said "Yeah. Now you see why I didn't want you or Max to race that guy last night."

May said "I guess so. If I was racing, my R34 would be a mess. There would be scratches all over the car."

Ash said "I totally agree with you on that. Not only that, your dad would probably eat you out."

May then said "You're probably right. By the way, how did you prepare for the race?"

Ash told May "I watched a video on how the drift king, Keiichi Tsuchiya controlled the car with his right hand taped to the wheel. I probably watched that video about a dozen times. I also took notes so I could try it myself. I also had to adjust the car's suspension for this race."

May said "I see. What are you going to do about getting your Supra repaired?"

Ash said "I will take it to work tomorrow morning and see if a couple of the guys can fix it."

May said "That sounds like a good idea. I'm sure your boss; Mr. Matsuyama will help you out."

Ash said "I am sure he will. He's been really good to me since I moved here two months ago. He has treated me very well. He also knows I'm a hard worker and I never want to let him down."

May and Ash then went to bed.

The next day, Ash took his car to Yuichi's place on his way to work. Yuichi was the only at the gas station. When Yuichi saw Ash pull in, he talked to him.

Yuichi asked why Ash came and Ash said "I was on my way to work. Since your gas station was on my route, I thought I would stop to see your ugly face."

Yuichi then looked at the scratches and said to Ash "Looks like you banged it up pretty good. Of course, with that race, you couldn't help it."

Ash chuckled and then Yuichi said "Why are you laughing after you banged up your Supra?"

Ash then said to Yuichi "My style is changing. I know May is a great racer but so am I. I was good before, but something was missing. Lately, me and May have been going faster. We stepped it up a notch."

Yuichi then said "How can you tell, Ash?"

Ash then said "My driving is evolving every day." & Yuichi said "That makes sense." Ash then drove off to work. Before he left, he said "Yuichi, I will see you on my way back tonight. How about we go out for a bite to eat?" Yuichi said he would go with Ash.


	14. Chapter 14: The Mustang's Challenge

DATE- FEBURARY 1, 1999

Ash had just visited Yuichi and then left for work.

When Ash arrived at the Matsuyama shop, he went to see Mr. Matsuyama.

Matsuyama said "Ash, good to see you. You're a bit early."

Ash said "Hello, Mr. Matsuyama. Listen, can do me a favor?" Matsuyama wanted to know what Ash wanted and Ash said "Is it okay if a couple of the guys repair my Supra? I was racing Saturday night in a duct tape death match and my car's got a few scratches."

Matsuyama then said "Let me see the situation."

Ash and Mr. Matsuyama walked over to see the Supra. Mr. Matsuyama then said "It looks like you banged it up quite a bit. Fortunately you didn't do too much damage. However the entire right side needs to be repainted so we will need it for a couple of days. You will have to pay for it."

Ash then said "Thanks. I will pay you when it's finished. Can I make a phone call to somebody?"

Mr. Matsuyama then let Ash use his telephone. Ash decided to call Norman.

At Norman and Caroline's house, Norman answered the phone when he heard it ringing. He said "Why is the Matsuyama shop calling? I have not dropped off my car there." When he picked up the phone, he said hello.

Ash said to him "Hello, Norman. It's good to talk with you."

Norman said "It's good to talk to you too. What's up with you? Why are you calling from the Matsuyama shop?" Ash said "I work at the Matsuyama shop. Listen can I borrow your S13 for a couple of days. My Supra needs to be repaired."

Norman then said "Certainly, Ash. What happened to your Supra?"

Ash then said "I had a duct tape death match Saturday night and I hit the guardrail a bit. My entire right side needs to be repainted."

Norman then said "I see. Well, I'm sure Mr. Matsuyama and his employees will do a great job. They always do great work on cars."

Ash said "I know. Mr. Matsuyama is a great guy. He treats all his employees with respect."

Norman then said "I hear that. Listen, what time do you want me to meet you there?"

Ash then said "How about noon? That's our lunch hour."

Norman then said "That's perfect. I will have Max drop me off at home."

Ash then said "Alright then." & then he hung up.

Meanwhile, May was driving Max to school in her R34. It was around 7:25 AM when she was driving him to school.

Max said to her "That race Saturday night was intense. I'm glad Ash won for us." May said "Me too, brother. It was good Ash prevented us from going to the hospital."

They arrived at school 2 minutes later. They went to their first class which was economics. They got out of school at 10:00 AM. May then dropped off Max at Yuichi's gas station. Then May went home and then headed off to the police station.

While at the gas station, Max was filling up a car then Akito came over. He said to him "Hey Max, how are you doing today?"

Max told Akito "Me? I'm doing well. So, what's up?" & Akito said "Nothing much. How was school today?"

Max said "School was good. Me and May learned nothing new but that's okay with me."

At around 11:45 AM, Max was filling up a car when Yuichi came out. Yuichi said to Max "Listen, Ash just called. He needs you to meet him at the Matsuyama shop so you can pick up your father and take him home. You better get going."

Max then said "Okay, boss. Let me finish with this customer." A minute later, he finished with the customer who game him cash for filling up the car. The customer gave Max a 1000 yen tip for working on his car.

Max then left in his NSX to meet up with his dad and Ash.

Max arrived at the Matsuyama shop around noon. Ash said "Hello, Max. Good to see you."

Max then said "Nice to see you Ash." Ash said "Listen, you dad's here and he wants you to take him home.

Max said "No problem, Ash." He yelled to his father "Dad, let's get going."

Norman said "You're right, Max. Let's make this quick so you can get back to work."

Max then took Norman home and dropped him off.

Max then drove back to Yuichi's gas station and got back to work. At around 1:00 PM, May came over to the gas station.

She said to Max "How have you been doing, brother? Is everything alright?"

Max said "Yeah, everything is fine, sis. I've been doing well. I just got back from dropping off dad at home and came back here to work. What's up with you?"

May said "Things are quiet at the police station. They didn't need me today. What's up with dad?"

Max said "Nothing. I had to meet Ash at the Matsuyama shop. He's borrowing dad's S13 while his Supra is being repaired."

May said "That's good. I told Ash to get it fixed. Looks like it might be a couple days if his car's being repaired. Listen, I'm going home. See you later." May then took off in her R34 and went home.

A few minutes later, a guy with a new Ford Mustang SVT Cobra came over to the gas station. He came out of his car and said "My name is Paul Imamura. I heard a rumor there was some fast R34 that raced on the local pass. I race at Shomaru Pass in the Saitama Prefecture. Who here drives this R34?"

Max said "The driver of this R34 is my sister. She's not here right now. She just left but she could come back later. Can I leave a message for her?"

Paul said "That's fine with me. Tell her I want to race her Friday night at Mount Haruna at 9:00 PM."

Max said "That sounds good with me. I will talk to her about it and see what she says."

Paul then said "Sounds good. Here is my cell phone number. Call if me if something comes up." Max said he would call if something came up. Paul then left to head back to Saitama.

Yuichi then came out and said "Who was that guy?" & Max said "He was somebody from Shomaru Pass in Saitama. He drove a Ford Mustang SVT Cobra."

Yuichi said "He drove a Ford Mustang? You don't see a lot of street racer with American cars but this guy must really like it. It sounds like he wants to race"

Max then said "Yeah. It looks like it's been heavily tuned for street racing."

Yuichi then said "When is the race?" & Max said "Friday night at 9:00 PM. He will race May at Mount Haruna. It sounds like it will be a downhill race."

Yuichi then said "I see. No surprise. Every racer in Kanto now wants a piece of May because she is the fastest."

Max then said to Yuichi "Maybe, but I think many say Ryousuke Takahashi is the fastest in Kanto." Yuichi agreed with him.

Later that day, May was home alone at the house. The phone rang and she picked it up. It was Ash calling. He said "How are things, May?"

May said "Everything is fine here. Why did you call?"

Ash said "I wanted to check up on you and see if everything is okay. Listen, I'm working late tonight. I won't be home until at least midnight. Take care and make sure nothing bad happens."

May said "Sure thing, Ash. You don't mind Max coming over, right?"

Ash said "Of course not. I know Max is a great kid. He would never do anything to get himself in trouble."

May said "You're right there. Talk to you later." May then hung up.

An hour later, Max arrived. He knocked and May opened the door. May said "Come on in, bro. What brings you here?"

Max said "I have to tell you something. This guy named Paul Imamura from Saitama came to the gas station today. He wants to race you Friday night on Mount Haruna at 9:00 PM. Will you race him?"

May said "Yes, I will. 9:00 PM is fine with me. I only have to work at the police station from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM Friday. By the way, what car does this guy drive?"

Max said "He drives a brand new Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. It looks pretty fast. This guy probably tuned it for street racing."

May said "I see. What do you want to do for dinner? Ash won't be home until midnight. He's working late."

Max said "How about we go to a sushi bar? & May said "Sounds fine with me. Remember, no booze."

Max said "I know. We are underage so we can't drink anyway." May and Max then left to get some dinner.

The next day, May was on patrol. She pulled over a speeding driver. She was taking care of the speeder like normal.

Later that day, Ash was on his way home from work. He got home at around 7:00 PM. 15 minutes later Solidad came over. Ash wanted to know why she came over.

Solidad said "I heard that May is racing this Friday night on Mount Haruna. She's racing some guy from Saitama who drives a Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. Well, I wanted to install a telemetry system on her R34. Do you know what a telemetry system is?"

Ash said "Well, when I watch auto racing on TV sometimes they show the speed they're going and the RPMs also. They must have some computer to relay information to the broadcaster."

Solidad said "Well, that's how a telemetry system works. A special module is installed to send data to a computer to tell it the car's speed and RPMs. It can also tell it's lap times around a circuit. Anyway the telemetry system I'm installing will tell car speed and engine speed. If I wanted lap times, I would have to do something at Mount Haruna to get an accurate reading for time but that's very complicated and time consuming. I don't have time for that."

Ash said "I see. When do you want to install it?"

Solidad then said "How about 5:00 PM tomorrow? Is that okay with you?"

Ash said "Certainly. I will tell May not to take the R34 tomorrow. She can walk to school or Max can drive her to school. The police station is only two blocks from the school she and Max go to."

Solidad then said "Okay then. See you tomorrow." She then left to head back to her home in Maebashi.


	15. Chapter 15: R34 vs Mustang

DATE- FEBRUARY 3, 1999

May was getting ready for school. It was 6:45 AM and she was getting dressed. Her day would be normal as she would have school and then work at the police station.

She was getting ready to leave around 7:00 AM when Ash woke up. Ash told May "Listen, I have to borrow the R34 today. Solidad's coming over later to install a telemetry system on your car. Is that okay with you?"

May said "That's fine with me. I will see if Max can drive me to school. I can walk to the police station because it's not really far from school. I will call you to pick me up."

Ash then said "Okay. By the way, what time do you have to work until today?"

May said "I have to work from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Are you okay with that?"

Ash said "That's fine with me. You don't need to be here when Solidad installs the telemetry system."

May then left for school. She walked over to her parent's house. She talked to Max about having him driver her to school.

Max said "Of course I can drive you to school today. However, I can't drop you off at the police station because I have to go straight to the gas station when school is over with today."

May said "Thanks. I was going to walk to the police station after school was over anyways."

May and Max then left for school.

Later that day at Yuichi's gas station, Max was filling up a car when Akito walked over to talk with him.

Akito said "I found out a little information about that guy. Like you said his name is Paul Imamura. He's part of the Northwestern Saitama Alliance team. Their home course is Shomaru Pass. This guy's Mustang has 385 HP. May might be in for a touch race."

Max then said "The Northwestern Saitama Alliance. I think I have heard about them before. These guys are from wealthy families and or have good paying jobs and usually have new, expensive cars. Sometimes they race imports."

Akito said "They're a really strong team. They're the fastest in Saitama."

Max then went on to work some more.

That evening, Solidad came over to Ash's house around 5:00 PM. She came to install the telemetry system on May's R34.

Solidad entered the house and said "Hello, Ash. How are you doing today?"

Ash said "I am doing fine. Are you ready to install the telemetry system?"

Solidad said "Yes, I'm ready. I got everything we need. Let's get going."

First they went outside to work on installing the module in May's car. Solidad said "This should not be too hard. First let's go inside the glove box of the car. We will hook it up to the multifunction display."

Ash then said "Okay then. I will open the glove box." Ash opened the glove box and then Solidad said "You will now have to take out the glove box out of the car."

Ash took the glove box out of the car so Solidad could install the telemetry system. There was an electrical system in back of the glove box which was used for the multifunction display.

Solidad connected a wiring harness to the electrical system. She then connected a module to the electrical system. Then she said to Ash "That's phase one complete. Now open the hood so I can get to the engine control unit."

Ash then opened the hood. He pointed out the ECU on May's car. He said "I found the engine control unit."

Solidad said "Thanks. Now I will install a module on the ECU to get data for car speed and engine speed."

Solidad then installed the module in the R34's engine compartment. She then hooked up the module to the ECU and fuse system under the hood.

Then, Solidad and Ash went upstairs to the computer room to install the software. Solidad said to Ash "Since I know a lot about computers, let me install the software for the telemetry system."

Ash then said "That's fine with me. You know a lot more about this stuff than I do so it's best if you install it. By the way, how did you get this telemetry system?"

Solidad said "A friend of mine bought it at an auction. He only paid ¥9500 for it. I asked him if I could borrow it and he said yes."

Ash then said "Nice. Let's finish this before May gets home." Solidad and Ash worked swiftly to get the telemetry system installed on Ash's computer. They finished around 6:45 PM. After that, Solidad got in her Z32 to go back home. Before she left, she said to Ash "It was nice working with you. I will see you Friday night here. Until then, see you later."

Ash then said "Thank you. Drive safe." Solidad then took off to go back home in Maebashi.

The next day, May had just got out of school when Ash called her. Ash said "Listen, when you are done at the police station, drop off your R34 here at the shop. I'm going to fine tune the suspension a bit for your race tomorrow night."

May said "Okay, Ash. I will see you then. I don't have to work long today."

Ash said "Okay then. See you soon."

At around 4:00 PM, May went to the Matsuyama shop to see Ash so he can fine tune the suspension of the R34. Ash said "I am going to increase the pressure in the front struts to control the understeer. You can take your Dad's S13 home with you. I will see you later."

May said "Okay. Talk to you later."

The next day, May was at school. Max said to her "Are you ready for tonight's race?"

May said "Well I'm a little nervous but I think I can win."

Max said "Well I think you'll do fine. You're an excellent racer. This guy has a fast car from the United States. The Ford Mustang is America's pony car. From what Akito told me, this guy's Mustang has 385 HP under the hood."

May said "385 horsepower, huh? Sounds like I have a touch race tonight. Well I know I can win."

Max said "I know you will win."

At 10:00 AM, May drove to the police station while Max drove to Yuichi's gas station for work. When May arrived at the police station, she changed into her police uniform. When Max arrived, he changed into his uniform for work.

At 5:30, May left the police station because her shift was over. She then went to Yuichi's gas station to fill up her R34.

When she got there, Yuichi said "What's May doing here?"

Max said "Hello, sis. What brings you here?" & May said "Max, fill her up with high octane. I want to make sure I don't run out of gas tonight during the race." Max said "You got it." May gave him ¥5000 to fill up the R34.

Meanwhile in Akagi, Ryousuke was watching television in his home's living room when Keisuke came in.

Keisuke said "Did you hear? May is racing some guy from Saitama who drive a Ford Mustang SVT Cobra."

Ryousuke said "Really? When is the race and where is it taking place?

Keisuke said "9:00 PM at Mount Haruna. It's a downhill battle."

Ryousuke then said "We should go to Haruna and watch May race. I wonder how she will do against an American muscle car. I'm sure she is going to win."

Back in Haruna, May and Max went to a restaurant to get something to eat before the race.

May was wearing a Nismo sweater, black Adidas pants &, a Coca-Cola hat.

May said to Max "Listen I don't know how I will do against this guy but I will win. I don't care what it takes, I will win."

Max said to her "Well that's great that you have a lot of confidence. GO FOR IT MAY!"

May and Max arrived at the top of Mount Haruna at around 8:00 PM. 10 minutes later, Ryousuke and Keisuke arrived with Ryousuke driving Keisuke in his FC.

Max said "Looks like the Takahashi brothers want to see you race. I think since you beat Keisuke, they have made you their #1 target."

Ash was home when Solidad came over. They would watch May through the telemetry system Solidad installed. They also had a two-way radio to talk to Max on Mount Haruna.

Drew arrived at 8:15 PM in his blue Subaru Impreza STi. When Drew drove by, Max said "That's a new GC8. I wonder who drives it."

Drew parked a little ways May and Akito.

Drew then came over and said "Hello, everyone. How are you?"

Max said "Drew? What brings you here?" & Drew said "I thought I could watch this race. It sounds like it's going to be fun."

At 8:45 PM, Paul arrived at the top of Mount Haruna. He said to May "I see you look ready. You look pretty young. What's your name?

May said "My name is May Chan. I'm 16 years old."

Paul then said "Good. I will remember that. I'm Paul Imamura."

Max then talked to someone at the midway point. He said "Is everything good there?"

The guy said "We're all clear. You can start at anytime."

Then Max asked someone at the five consecutive hairpins if everything was clear there and the guy there said "We're good to go here. You can start at anytime." Max said "Okay you two. We can start when you are ready."

May and Paul then got in their cars and pulled up to the starting point.

Drew said "I am going to do the countdown. We're starting in 10 seconds. 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! GO!"

May and Paul were then speeding to the first corner with May leading Paul however Paul wasn't far behind. At the second corner, Paul gained a little ground on May.

May then said to herself "Man, this will be a tough race. I've got to keep my cool or I will lose the race."

Max called May via radio and wanted to ask her how she was doing. She said "I am doing okay. Looks like this guy won't give up."

Ryousuke then said in his head "That's typical of Imamura. He lets his opponent take the early lead then passes him when he feels the opportunity is there."

Meanwhile at Ash's house, Solidad and Ash were watching May's telemetry. Solidad said "May's doing well even though it's early. If she keeps it up, she will win no doubt about it." & Ash said "Well I see where you're going but there's still a long way to go. A race isn't decided in the first couple of corners."

Meanwhile at Haruna, May was leading but Paul was losing a little ground to her. Paul said to himself "Man this is tougher than I thought. This girl is good. She's definitely controlling her car very well. I knew this would a tough one but I didn't expect it to be this tough."

Back at Ash's house he saw May was a little faster than Paul but she was starting to struggle. Ash knew that the pressure was starting to build on May.

Back at Haruna, Paul was about to pass May at the next corner. A Speed Stars member named Yoshitaka was watching the race from there. Paul passed May on the inside.

Yoshitaka then said to Max "Listen up. They just passed here. The Mustang passed the R34 on the outside. It was incredible. He was like only 2 or 3 centimeters from the guardrail. I thought they were going to crash."

Max said "Oh boy. May has her work cut out for her. She will make her move however in the five consecutive hairpins. That's where she has won her 2 previous races here."

May said "CRAP! He passed on the outside, but it's not over yet. The five hairpins will be coming up soon."

May was able to not let Paul pull away. The cars were now approaching the five consecutive hairpins.

The guy at the beginning of the hairpins said "I hear them coming. Who's leading?" When they came, he said "It's the Mustang but the R34 is right on his tail."

At the first hairpin, May followed Paul so she could make her move at the second hairpin. She almost passed Paul but was unable to complete the pass. At the third hairpin, May faked drifting on the outside and used the gutter to pass Paul on the inside.

Paul said "NO WAY! She passed me on the inside. I thought you couldn't do that here."

The guy at the third hairpin said to Max "They just passed here. The R34 passed the Mustang on the inside like she has done in her other races. I don't think the Mustang can overtake her."

May said "It took some guts to make that move and I knew it was high risk but I made the hairpin perfectly. This race is mine." May then drifted through the fourth hairpin and then nailed a braking drift at the fifth and final hairpin.

At Ash's house, Solidad said "Looks like May timed her move perfectly to take the lead."

Ash said "I knew she would do that. Great job May and you did it at the third hairpin. That means you have won the race."

Paul said "DARN! I left the inside too open for her. I underestimated her. I didn't think she was that good. She's better than good. She's in a league of her own. She's just as good as Ryousuke Takahashi."

When May crossed the finish line, she said to herself "I am relieved the race is over and I won. That was tough but I knew I had to have faith in myself in order to win. I guess I will go home."

When May returned, she saw Solidad and Ash were there too. Solidad said "Great work May. You won and even though it was tough you pulled it off." & May said "Well I knew if I could the weight of my car to my advantage I would win in the five hairpins."

Ash then said "You did an excellent job tonight. I'm proud of you. Nice work."

May said "Thanks for the compliments. I had to do my best and I guess I did." May then went upstairs then went to bed.

Solidad then left to go to her house.

May arrived at the house around 9:45 PM. She decided not to talk to Ash because she was tired. She went straight to her room.


	16. Chapter 16: Usui's Racing Angel

A lot had happened when May last raced. She was the quarterback for Haruna High School's American Football team and led them to the championship, she and Max graduated high school, and Drew moved in with her and Ash.

May hadn't raced since February because she was busy with other stuff after her race with Paul Imamura from Shomaru Pass in Saitama prefecture.

It's now June and May isn't that busy because school's over and she graduated.

In Usui, Max was shopping for a Mugen Motorsports T-Shirt. He was listening to "Take it to the Limit" by The Eagles. Then he saw a cute girl who seemed to have car problems

Max said to the girl "Do you need any help? I'm good with cars so maybe I can help you out."

The girl said "Thank you! By the way, my name is Maya Sato and I enjoy car racing. I think I have a battery issue."

Max said to Maya "Maybe I can jump your car for you. I have some jumper cables in the trunk of my NSX."

Max helped out Maya by jumping her car and Maya said "Thank you very much. What's your name?"

Max said "My name's Max Chan and I'm from Haruna and I'm the leader of the Haruna Speed Stars."

Maya said to Max "I hope to see you again sometime soon, Max."

Max drove off and said to himself "Man she was cute. I would love to go out on a date with her."

Back in Haruna, Drew was talking with Ash about where May had been. He said "Where's May?"

Ash said "Drew, May's on duty at the police station right now. I don't think she will be back until 9:00 PM tonight."

Drew said "Okay Ash. Maybe I will do some errands around here before she gets home."

Ash said to Drew "I am putting you in charge of making sure nothing bad happens. I'm off to work right now but I will be home at about 10:30 PM."

In Usui, Some guys were racing on the mountain pass, drifting along in a line. Some guys said "Oh, man! You suck big time." Another guy said "Wataru hasn't improved at all. He keeps on getting worse every day. There's no hope for him."

Someone said to everyone "HERE THEY COME!" Another person told everyone to clear the road. The person driving was Maya and she had a co-pilot named Simone Hiyama telling Maya what to do.

A guy named Juichi said "There's no one like Maya Sato. She can't be touched because she has amazing skills."

Simone told Maya "Go ahead and pass it." Maya passed the car in front of her without any trouble and then Simone said "Leave 3 inches because it's sandy." After Maya made the next turn, Simone told her she was looking sharp and no one could touch her.

The next day at Yuichi's gas station in Haruna, Max was telling Akito, Kenji, and Koichiro he met up with a girl he helped by jumping her car.

Akito said in shock "You got her phone number as well? Now I'm getting jealous. What's the catch, really?"

Max said to the guys "I went to Usui yesterday so I could find a Mugen Motorsports T-Shirt when I saw a girl with a Sileighty in a parking lot. She said her battery was dead so I jumped her car for her and it started. Her name's Maya Sato and she lives in Usui. She is a really cute girl."

Kenji said to Max "It's not like you. Asking for a date with a girl? Please, you don't need girls."

Max said in frustration "Are you making me look bad, Kenji?"

Kenji said "No. It just sounds too good to be true."

While Max was talking about his encounter with Maya, May and Drew came to the gas station. Drew drove May in Drew's blue GC8.

Max went "What are you doing here, sis? I thought you had to work all day."

May said "I don't have to be at the police station until 6:00 PM bro. So I heard you are going out with a date with some girl from Usui. Come on Max. Spill the beans."

Max admitted he was going out with Maya and May was getting really jealous.

Akito told May "You look gorgeous today, May. I love your ponytail and you look absolutely in shape. Have you been working out?"

May said "Well, I want to look good for the summer and I have been working out."

Akito said "That's good to hear."

Kenji said "How about you and me check out this Maya girl Max is going out with, Akito."

Akito agreed with Kenji to go with and Drew said "Well I hope you guys have fun."

Max said to Drew "I didn't know you drive a GC8."

Drew said "Yeah. I really like it a lot. You know it's built here in Gunma in Ohta.

Max then said "You're right. Subaru makes a lot of their cars here in Gunma. I think their factory is only about 20 miles from here. You two have a great day."

Drew then took off.

While driving to Mount Haruna Drew said to May "You know May, I think you are very talented." and May said "Why thank you Drew. I really like you GC8. So where is Solidad?"

Drew said "Solidad's coming later. She has some stuff to do in Maebashi but she'll be here around 2:45 PM. I was wondering if we could go out to lunch together."

May said "You know what, that sounds great. There's an American diner not far from the gas station Max hangs out."

Drew agreed with May and said "I will drive us there. I want you to watch me."

While Drew was driving May, he said "So let me get this straight. Max is in Usui because he helped out some girl there?"

May said "Yes. Max helped out some girl a couple days ago in Usui because her car's battery was dead so he had to jump the car. That's how he got the date."

Drew said "Interesting. He got a date because he helped her out. That's so nice of your brother, May."

Meanwhile, Max was on his way to Usui to meet up with Maya. Kenji, Akito, and Koichiro were following Max to Usui. While Kenji was telling a story about him fishing when he was younger, they pulled next to Max however Max sped off.

Meanwhile in Haruna, May and Drew were talking at the diner where they stopped to get some lunch. A waiter asked them what they wanted to drink and Drew said "We'll take 2 Diet Cokes." The waiter said "At your service."

Drew then told May "This is a nice place to have lunch so good selection." May said "Thank you Drew. I am into the culinary arts because I love to cook."

Drew said "I knew you loved to cook."

In Usui, Kenji, Akito and Koichiro apologized for following Max but Max said "You don't have to apologize or go home right now. I would love to introduce her to you guys so you can come with me."

Akito said "You're kidding me, Max. You want us to meet this Maya girl?"

Max told the guys "I actually want you to meet Maya. It's okay if you follow me to meet Maya but after that, don't follow us or I will get pissed."

The guys agreed to Max's plan and they headed off to see Maya. Max introduced Maya by saying "These are some of my friends, Akito Nomura, Koichiro Iketani, and Kenji Kisawa."

Kenji, Koichiro, and Akito said that Maya was beautiful. After Akito, Kenji, and Koichiro met Maya they went to check out Mt. Usui.

Kenji said "So this is Usui Pass. I've never been here before, but it's much curvier than I thought. It looks tough." Koichiro said "One corner after another, and the road is narrow. It looks nothing like Mount Haruna. I wonder who's the fastest here."

Meanwhile in Usui village, Max was driving Maya around town and Maya told Max "I really like the last generation RX-7." Max said "The FC. You have some good taste. That car looks pretty cool and it's fast too. It's powered by a 1.3 litre turbocharged twin rotary engine."

Maya said to Max "You're a racer right, Max?"

Max said "That's right. I'm the leader of the Haruna Speed Stars. How do you like my NSX?"

Maya told Max she likes his NSX and Max was so happy to have someone say they liked his NSX. Then Max said in his head "Now I get it. She wants to be a racer, which is why she likes the FC."

Back in Haruna, May was about to take a bite of her bacon cheeseburger when her cell phone rang. May said "Hello. This is May Chan speaking." and it was Solidad. Solidad said to May "Hello, May. It's me, Solidad. I'm at the top of Mount Haruna right now, so where are you?" May said "Me and Drew are having lunch at a diner right now but after lunch, we are heading to Mount Haruna so stay put."

May hung up and Drew said "Who was that on the phone?" & May said "That was Solidad and she's on the top of Mount Haruna, waiting for us." Drew said "Okay then. After lunch, we'll head out to Mount Haruna."

Back in Haruna, May and Drew met up with Solidad on Mount Haruna and May said "You look so beautiful Solidad. Heck, you look cuter than me."

Solidad blushed at May when May told her how pretty she looked. Drew said to the girls "Hey is it okay if May drives my GC8? I would like to see how she drives a 4WD. Is that okay with you, Solidad?"

Solidad said she was fine with that and May said to Drew "That sounds good. In fact, when I living in American and I drove a 4WD Celica."

In Usui, Akito, Kenji, & Koichiro stopped at a gas station.

Koichiro said "A female racer driving a Sileighty."

Akito then said "Is that an import, Kenji?"

Kenji said "NO! It's a 180SX with a Silvia front end on it. If you combine Silvia and 180SX, you get "Sileighty". Its driver is the fastest at Usui Pass, and a girl drives it. I have to see it."

A gas station attendant then came out and said "You can see her at night, usually. It's not wise to challenge her, though. No locals even come close to her."

Meanwhile in the village, Max was talking to Maya about the Speed Stars. He then said "There's this one racer I got my eye on. She too is a girl but she has only been driving since January yet she has become the fastest on Haruna. Speed-wise, I'm right behind her. Did I mention she's my younger sister? What's wrong, Maya?"

Maya said "No, it's nothing."

Max said "I must be boring you with my car talk."

Maya said "It's not that. I love cars, too, so it's fun."

Max then said "Really? I'm glad."

After taking a sip of iced tea Max then went on to say "So, do you also admire great drifting skills and all that?"

Maya said "Yes I do."

Max said "You need a lot of experience, like I have, to use that technique, though. It's dangerous."

Maya then said "So, are you good at drifting?"

Max said "I have just mastered basic drifting."

Maya said "I am happy for you!"

Max then said "Yeah?" then he took another sip of his iced tea.

Meanwhile in Haruna, May was driving Drew's GC8. Drew said to her "For someone who learned on a 4WD, you're going well. You didn't do any real racing in that Celica but you've done great with my GC8."

May said "Thanks. I know a regular R34 is 4WD but since mine's FR, it handles differently. This isn't a bad car at all. You got good taste, Drew."

Drew then said "Thank you, May. I'm glad you like my GC8."

Later that day, Maya and Max went to Usui pier. Maya said to Max "Thank you for a wonderful day."

Max then said "So, Maya…"

Maya said "Yes?"

Max said "Well, I'm wondering if you…you know, someone…you're seeing right now."

Maya said "I don't have a boyfriend but I would love to have you call me again, Max."

Maya then left. Max said in excitement "WOW!" and then lied down on the grass.

Then the guys came over to see him.

Kenji said "Hey, can you hear me, Max?

Akito said "Wake up, Max!"

Max opened up his eyes and said "Um, I'm...WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

Akito then said "We couldn't go back, because we were worried about you.

Kenji said "So, how did it go?"

Max started to laugh and said "Today was a fine day, indeed. Are you guys hungry? Dinner's on me! We can also check out the racers at Usui Pass."

Akito then said "It sounds like it went well."

Kenji said "I guess miracles do happen."

That night, Max, Akito, Kenji, and Koichiro went to Usui Pass to watch some racers. Max was amazed at how good the racers were.

Kenji then said "They're good. Every racer here has good skills."

While watching local racers, Max said "There!" & Kenji said "The Sileighty?!"

Maya and Simone then drifted by Max, Akito, Kenji, & Koichiro. The 4 guys watched her drift and were amazed at how well she drifted through the corner.

Max then said "THAT'S A CONTINUOUS REVERSE DRIFT!"

Kenji said "What the heck?!"

Max then said "Did you see that?"

Kenji said "The narrow road made it intense!"

Max then said to himself "I told Maya that I was good at drifting, but I still panic when the rear slides out. I seriously have to work at it, or I will lose my angel! She could be better than May."

He then said to the others to head on down and they all agreed.

Akito said "Every pass has a great racer."

Max drove along the pass at a fast speed.

Kenji said "He's going pretty fast, isn't he? We got three people here. I can't keep up."

Koichiro then said "We'd better give him some room. He looks like he's out of sync and his car is acting weird."

Kenji then said "How can you tell?"

Koichiro said "I am not positive, but that's probably what's going on."

Kenji said "Probably?" but then Max started to try a continuous reverse drift but slid sideways.

Akito then said "He spun out! Koichiro was right."

Then they heard another car coming. It was Maya and Simone in the Sileighty. Maya stopped before she could hit Max's NSX.

Maya said to Simone "That was close!"

Simone said to Maya "Who is this idiot?! As the rear slides out, he panics and spins out of control. That's a rookie mistake."

Simone then popped her head out the window and yelled "HEY, YOU IN THE NSX! Move out of the way, or you'll put other drivers in danger!"

Max then said he would move out of the way.

Akito then said "That's so embarrassing!" & Kenji said in a soft voice "Let's pretend we don't know him."

Max then said "Sorry about that." but then he noticed Maya in the driver's seat of the Sileighty and couldn't believe his eyes. He then drove off.

Simone then said to Maya "What's wrong?"

Maya said "Nothing."

Meanwhile, Max was driving his NSX when he said "So, it's Maya whose Sileighty is the fastest on Usui Pass. I WANNA DIE!"

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, the guys were talking about Max and Maya.

Kenji said "A day off?

Koichiro said "He hasn't called, either."

Kenji then said "This is very rare for a workaholic like Max. He must have taken it real hard."

Koichiro then said "He didn't say a word after what happened last night. At a rest area on the way back, his eyes were dull from shock. I felt too bad to say anything to him."

Kenji then said "I had a bad feeling about this. She was too cute to be his girlfriend."

Akito said "Like I said, racers don't need girls. My title is Akito Nomura, the lonely racer."

Kenji then said "I hope he snaps out of it soon."

Meanwhile at the Chan residence, Max was sleeping in his bed. His mom, Caroline said "Max, the phone's for you!" & Max said "Tell whoever's calling I'm sleeping. It's probably Kenji or Akito."

Caroline said "It's a girl named Maya Sato!"

Later that day, Max met Maya at Lake Haruna.

Max said to Maya "Did you want to talk to me?

Maya said "Yeah."

Max then said "Look. If you're here to make fun of me, please don't do that."

Maya said "No, I'm not here to make fun of you."

Max said "I never suspected it was you. I saw your Sileighty drift through the narrow road. The fastest on Usui Pass. You could have warned me about that."

Maya told Max "I am sorry. I've never told anyone about this. It was shocking to me, too, and I realized that I owed you the truth."

Max said "The truth?"

A few minutes later Maya and Max sat on a bench.

Maya said to Max "I am really the quiet type."

Max then said "It's hard to believe that a quiet type could drift that dynamically."

Maya then went on to say "I am one of those people whose character changes behind the wheel. No matter how fast I drive, men don't see me as girlfriend material, so I've decided to put an end to this. I'm quitting racing after this summer. To make this summer memorable, I would like to race Haruna's R34 at Usui Pass."

Max was shocked to hear what Maya said. Maya then said "That's my wish. In return for my wish, I will give you my virginity."

Max then said "Wait a minute! That's nonsense!"

Maya said "Am I not good enough?"

Max said "That's not it. May's my sister, so I can't sell her out like that." He then said in his head "I get it now. Her true intention was not me but my sister, May. Otherwise, a pretty girl like her wouldn't be interested in someone like me. He then said to Maya "I understand. I will do what I can, but listen; I have no intentions to have sex with any girl."

Maya then said "Really? If you don't want to have sex, I will not make fun of you."

Max then said "Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not doing this because of your proposition. I want to make your wish come true. Your wish of battling my sister and her R34 at Usui."

Max then walked to his car and drove off. While driving Max said to himself "It's okay because for a short while, I was falling for her. I just want her to be happy."

Max then slammed on the brakes. He then said "I will probably be laughed at for this, but I really liked her. I loved her even though I was mistaken."


	17. Chapter 17: Sudden Death Death Match

DATE: JUNE 10, 1999

May was with Solidad at Family's Restaurant and May said "Do you like to watch me race, Solidad?"

Solidad said "Yes I enjoy watching you race. You're something else. You want to know something May. I'm from San Diego however I'm working as a computer technician for the Maebashi School District. I graduated from Mission Bay High School 7 years ago with high honors, then I went to San Diego State and got my associates in Computer Technology."

May said "That's really cool you're from Southern California. Your name's Spanish so that's why you're from San Diego. I think San Diego has the largest Hispanic population in the USA."

While May was talking with Solidad, Max came and sat down with the girls. Max said "Hey Solidad, you mind if me and May have a private conversation?"

Solidad said "That's fine, Max. I have to go now anyways so you aren't bothering me."

Max told Solidad thank you and then said "Sis, I couldn't tell this to the other guys but I knew I had to tell you to make you understand. This girl Maya wants to race you at Usui pass this Friday night."

May replied to Max by saying "I don't like it bro. She makes me mad."

Max said "Don't be angry at Maya. She's a good girl."

May said "I don't know why you have to defend her. I don't get it. You do not owe her anything." Max was begging May to understand him.

Max said "How was your day with Drew and Solidad Wednesday?" May said "I had a lot of fun with those two. They're the best people to hang out with." Max said "Cool. Drew is a cool person to be with sometimes but so is Solidad."

May said to Max "I don't want to race her because you haven't raced at all since we moved, bro. Can you race her?"

Max said "No May. I don't want Maya to feel bad about me if I raced her so you do it."

May took a minute to think it over and then said "Alright then. I will race her Friday night at Usui."

Max said "Thank you sis. I owe you one."

May told Max "I'm not sure what you and that girl expect out of this. I will go to Usui with my R34."

The next day, Ash was up and he answered the phone. He said "Hello. Ashton Morikawa speaking." It was Solidad and she said to Ash "Hey Ash. Where's May?"

Ash said "Hold on a second, Solidad. MAY! ARE YOU GOING TO GET OUT OF BED THIS MORNING? THE PHONE'S FOR YOU."

May said "I am coming Ash. Hello. This is May Chan." Solidad went "Good morning May. How are you doing today?" May told Solidad she was feeling dopey and didn't want to get out of bed.

At the gas station, Kenji told Akito that May would be racing Maya in Usui and they both couldn't believe it.

Akito said "It's not like her to go to another mountain pass to battle it out. How did Max get her involved?"

Kenji said "I am not sure. Max doesn't want to talk about it in detail. We talked about what would happen if May raced on another course. I can kind of understand Max wanting to see that happen."

Yuichi was listening to what Kenji and Akito were saying and said "Is May racing in Usui?"

Akito said "That's right Yuichi. She's racing a Sileighty on Usui pass."

Kenji told Yuichi that Maya was better than good and she drifted left and right and faked some moves on that narrow road.

At Ash's house, he noticed was out of Coca-Cola so he had to go to the grocery store. Before Ash left, he noticed the car parked was not May's Three-four or his Supra. He said "WHAT THE HECK? WHAT'S MAX'S NSX DOING HERE AND WHERE'S MY CAR?"

May left a note saying "Ash, My dad had to take your Supra so Max dropped off his NSX for you to drive."

Ash then said "Oh, that's right. Norman had to borrow my Supra because his S13 is in the shop."

On the highway to Usui, May was driving Max in her R34 and Drew was driving Solidad, Akito, and Kenji in his GC8. Max said "I think Ash is freaking out that I dropped off my NSX at your place."

May said "Listen up bro. Dad asked Ash to borrow his Supra. That's why your NSX is at the place where I live."

Drew was driving everyone else and said "I hope that everything goes well for May. I don't want her to lose."

Solidad said "I hope May wins. She's really maturing as a teenager and a racer. The big disadvantage for May is she has never raced on Usui so maybe she could struggle."

Drew said "As good as May is Solidad, I don't think she'll lose. Sure May will have a rocky start but I think she can pull it off."

At a restaurant, Maya said to Simone "I should have come to you with this a long time ago but I kept it to myself."

Simone said "I don't get why you're quitting racing." Maya said "It was so much fun when we started 3 years ago. We always wanted to be the fastest around Usui."

Simone wanted to ask Maya if racing was still fun for her and Maya replied by saying "I can't explain it but I'm not as intense like I used to be."

Somewhere in Usui, Drew said "It's no use if you don't feel like racing her, May. Me and Solidad will let them know. You guys turn around."

Max said to May "I am sorry for getting you into this mess, sis."

May said "I am not going back, Drew. If I back down, then probably no one would want to race me because I'm a chicken but I'm not a chicken."

Drew said "Well, look at it this way. Would Ryousuke Takahashi back down from a challenge no matter how hard it looks?"

May said "I guess he wouldn't back down because he's a natural." Drew said "That's the spirit May. If you were in Ryousuke's Shoes, you wouldn't back down."

May agreed with Drew and told him it wasn't about winning or losing. May told everyone that she was going and while driving, May said to herself "I want to attack Usui as well as I can."

Meanwhile on Mount Usui, Simone was checking the tires and said they were good to go and no more adjustments were needed.

Simone said "I know you know but in this race, avoid wide-angle drifts. It's crucial to know when to drift and when not to drift especially with Usui's continuous corners."

On Usui, May and Drew were heading to the start line. Max said "Are you going to win tonight, sis?" May said "I'm not sure, bro. I don't have anything special for this race so I guess I won't know what I'm capable of doing."

Max told May he would hate to see her lose. Max said "Usui is narrow and there's no straight lines so jump the gun and get ahead."

When May got to the start, Simone went "Are you kidding me? This is who drives Haruna's R34. She's so young. Tell me how old you are and what your name is."

May said to Simone "My name is May Nicole Chan and I'm 16 years old."

Simone went "16? You have not had your license for about 6 months, right?"

May said "I've had my license since the first of January so I've been driving for 6 months."

Simone told Maya that they weren't losing to May because she was young. Simone told May about the race. She said "I don't think it's a good idea to start side by side here because whoever has a better start has a definite advantage and I'd hate to argue over who cheated and jumped the gun."

Max wanted to know how they will start. Simone said "It's going to be a cat and mouse race. It's a chase race. If the mouse gets too far ahead, then it's over."

May then agreed with what Maya and Simone offered. Simone said to May "Since we're the locals, you choose whether you want to be the cat or the mouse."

Drew and the others took May away from Maya and Simone to talk it over with May. Drew said "I think it would be best if May was in front first.

Akito said "It won't end with only one race but at least you get a practice."

Max said "It's better to lose in the 2nd race." Maya and Simone agreed to have May go in front first.

May said to everyone else "I hate to ignore your good advice but I will chase her first."

Everyone was surprised with May's decision and Solidad went "Think it over, May."

May said "This is my race so let me decide. I will chase first." Maya and Simone were surprised with May's decision as well.

Simone said "Is she trying to insult us or is she an idiot?"

May got in her R34, revving it up. Meanwhile in Haruna, Ash was making himself dinner when the phone rang.

He said "I can't answer it now because I'm too darn busy making myself dinner." Ash grabbed the phone and said "Hello. Ash Morikawa speaking."

The person on the other end was Yuichi. Ash said "Hello Yuichi. How are you doing tonight?"

Yuichi said "I'm doing good. I thought I should tell you something about May."

Ash said "So what? She went to Usui Pass to race some girl in a Sileighty."

Yuichi said "Is that all you can say? Aren't you worried?"

Ash said that May was the best racer he has ever seen and had faith in her. Ash hung up 2 minutes later.

Meanwhile in Usui, May and Maya were ready to race. Simone said "We'll go slowly so follow us. After the 1st turn, we'll go full speed and that begins the race."

May and Maya got themselves situated and harnessed before they took off.

Solidad said to Maya and Simone "Can I do a countdown?"

Maya and Simone agreed with Solidad and Solidad went "DRIVERS READY? 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! GO!"

Maya drove off slowly into the 1st corner and then the race started.


	18. Chapter 18: Furious Racing At Usui

When we last left off, the battle between May and Maya had just begun. The two were heading into the first corner and after they reached the 1st turn, the two girls floored their cars to begin the race. The pace was fast and furious with May seeming to keep up with Maya. May was driving like she usually does plus she didn't seem to have much trouble.

Back in Haruna, Ash was eating his dinner when the phone rang again. This time it was Norman who called Ash. Norman said to Ash "Hey Ash. I was wondering if you could bring Max's NSX back here and I will give you your Supra back."

Ash said "Okay then, Norman. Let me finish dinner and then I will come over to pick up my car."

Back in Usui, May was still keeping pace with Maya's Sileighty and didn't seem to be losing ground. The two girls braked into a hard left turn and May said to herself that Maya was fast. Again, Maya floored her Sileighty to try to pull away from May however it didn't do much good for Maya.

May said to herself "I am in trouble. Can I keep up with them?"

In Haruna, Ash got his car back from Norman and said to Norman "I am going to Usui Pass. I want to see how May is doing." Norman said "Okay. I hope she wins."

Ash sped off in his Supra on his way to Usui Pass. While driving on the highway, he said "I hope May wins. I think she's a great racer and she's really talented. I hope that everything goes well."

May had been keeping with Maya but couldn't seem to pass her.

Simone told Maya "Stay way inside on the next curve!" Simone complemented Maya by saying "That's the way, Maya!" Simone noticed there was an obstacle and told Maya to move inside. May didn't see the obstacles causing her to lose ground to Maya and Simone.

At the start line, Max said "This race seems to be getting faster by the minute. On one side, you got a Nissan powered by the SR20DET while May's R34 is powered by the RB26DETT. It's more than a race now because it's a battle between turbo-charged Nissan engines which makes this more exciting."

Drew said to Max "You're right. Not only that, they're driving lightweight cars making it fast and furious."

While Drew and Max were talking with one another, Solidad told the guys "We got company."

Max said "That's a Supra. It must be a local wanting to watch the race."

But when the driver got out, Max was shocked to find out who it was. Max went in shock "ASH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Ash told Max "I heard May was taking on a Sileighty here at Usui so I figured I wanted to see it. I know May's a great driver but a little more support's not going to hurt May."

Maya was now starting to pull away a little from May a little bit.

Simone told Maya "Not bad. She's not like other racers. She's still with us."

Maya told Simone "Good. There's more to look forward to. I wonder how long she can keep it up." & Simone told Maya they were just getting started.

May said "How am I supposed to keep up with them? What's wrong with my R34? It doesn't seem to be as good as it usually is. I must be losing my head." May was trying everything she could to keep up with Maya but to no avail.

Meanwhile at the start line, Ash told Drew "You were right Drew. May's like no other racer in Gunma except Ryousuke Takahashi of course."

Drew said "Yeah. I wonder if Ryousuke Takahashi has the guts to race May. If he does, boy that will be some race. It would be legend versus rookie, Haruna versus Akagi, Mazda versus Nissan."

Ash said "Well you know, May did make a name for herself in Kanagawa in racing go-karts. In the 2 years I've been racing semi-pro, I have not seen someone as great as May."

Back to the action, May said "I am riding the course like some rollercoaster. I'm so out of sync tonight and it's scaring me to death." May then remembered what Solidad said to her a couple of days ago. Solidad told May "May, you have matured not only as a teenager, but as a racer. You have the right stuff to become a great racer so don't give up."

May then said to herself "Solidad, I know it has been 3 years since our last contest but I am going to show you that I have really matured as a teenager." May went full throttle and Simone looked at the rear view and saw May was coming quickly.

Simone said "No wonder why people are talking about that R34. We can't shake her off that easily so it's going to get harder Maya."

Maya said "She's good no doubt about it but she's about to feel the wrath of Usui's severe turns."

The two girls were heading to a narrow right turn.

May said "DAMN IT! SHE'S FAST! I'm not sure if I can keep up with her any longer. This is becoming more than a race, it's becoming a test of strategy and skill. I have to stay close or it's over. If she can, then I can do it better!"

At the start line, Drew told the guys "May said to me if Maya could make it around the corners, so could she. That tells you she not like anyone else. She can make her opponents look weak and she'll come on top in the end."

Ash said "That's a childish idea. She could get herself into more trouble if she gets too cocky."

Drew said "It's amazing she could say that. Someone with lesser abilities wouldn't dare to try that stuff."

Max said "I know May so much. She's my sister guys so don't you forget that." Akito said "She can probably control her run if she doesn't go beyond her own limits."

Solidad then said "Of course she can. It was about 3 years we had our last contest and I think Ash, Drew, and Max remember that."

Drew said "I remember that contest. It was in the Chiba Prefecture. I think it was the Kanto Grand Festival. She showed some pretty amazing stuff that I would have never done. I know it didn't involve cars but that shows you how diversely talented May is."

Back in Haruna, Norman said "Hey Caroline, can you put this stuff in Max's NSX?" Caroline said "Sure honey. I will be a second." Norman said thanks and then said "May's taking on a Sileighty. I think that's a mix of my S13 and an 180SX."

Back in Usui, May and Maya were still pushing their cars to the limit. Maya said "She's right on our tail, Simone and I don't think we can shake her off. Am I going to slow, Simone?"

Simone said "No, you're doing great. Don't worry about her or you'll mess up your rhythm. Leave what's going on in back of you to me. It has only started so let's enjoy this awesome race."

Maya told Simone she trusted her and May said "I think I can try to catch up but it seems like since I don't know the course, it gets difficult for me to stay with them. If I can take advantage of them making a mistake, then I win."

In Akagi, Ryousuke Takahashi was on his computer coming up with something called "THE THEORY OF THE FASTEST ON THE STREET". He said "It's very crucial to determine the correct entering speed for the corners on any unfamiliar course." After taking a sip of his coffee, he said "Keisuke's loss plus Nakazato losing his head due to his cockiness. Course knowledge gives the racer an advantage regardless of technique. So how can I beat this R34?" Ryousuke pulled out a map of Mount Haruna's course to figure out a way to beat May and her R34.

Back in Usui, May and Maya were still racing and May said "I was too optimistic. I took a risky challenge but the difference between a few inches plus a little speed at the start of a turn makes a huge difference at the exit. CRAP! THAT WAS TOO WIDE! I almost hit the guardrail."

At the start, Kenji wondered if the race was over but Drew said "It's not over until they come back."

At C-121, some guy asked some other people if Maya and Simone were racing and one guy said "YES! They're racing an R34 from Haruna. Get this, the driver of that R34 is only 16 and she's a girl."

At a corner about 800 meters from C-121, May drifted and Simone said "She couldn't have drifted through that corner without any problems."

One guy watching at C-121 said "You're right. That's the R34 from Haruna. I have goose bumps."

May then said "I feel synced. I'm starting to get the rhythm of Usui. Look out Maya and Simone; I'm coming to get you."


	19. Chapter 19: Super Drift

When we last left off, May and Maya were battling hard in their Nissans. May was catching up to Maya and didn't see any signs of slowing down.

At the next corner, Simone told Maya "No cars ahead. Make it flashy, Maya!"

May slid next to Maya at the corner using her skill to keep up with Maya and Simone. The race was now getting faster than it was because of all the action. May was making so nifty moves to keep up with Maya and Simone which impressed everyone watching.

Simone said "How could she pull that off?"

Maya said "We knew how great she was. But since this is my last race, we can't quit without giving it our best!"

Maya told Simone if she was scared and Simone nodded yes then Maya told her "You're useless! You're nothing but dead weight. Your ballast is messing up the power-to-weight ratio!"

Simone said to herself "She gets tough behind the wheel." & then yelled at Maya by saying "I am not ballast and I'm not fat and I have a nice body!" Maya said that she was 49 kilos of extra weight but Simone told Maya she weighs only 47 kilos.

Simone said "FINE! I've got my pride, too! Ready Maya? We'll put our lives on the line!"

Simone told Maya to exit the next turn so she almost scrapes the wall.

May said to herself "Man, this is getting tough. I'm not sure if I can keep up with them. I know they're the best on Usui but I've got a more powerful engine. I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT MY R34 IS CAPABLE OF DOING!"

Back at the start line, Max said "This is getting tough on both drivers. Racing this long can take a toll on you." and Ash said "You're right Max. If somebody screws up now, the other one wins. I hope it's May who comes out on top."

Drew then said "I remember 6 years ago when May broke her back in a go-kart accident. She came back to compete in the final race of the season and even though I won, the crowd gave May a standing ovation because she raced with a busted back. I'm telling you Max, your sister will take risks like nothing and still come out without a scratch."

Max said "YEAH, DREW! I remember when May played a football game 2 years ago with a twisted ankle. Did she quit on her teammates? NO! She kept fighting to the end."

Solidad then said "If May is willing to take chances, she can become even better than Ryousuke Takahashi."

While May and Maya were still racing, Maya was told by Simone that the next corner was sandy. May then said "If I can find a way to pass them on the inside, then I will take the lead but it's a big task at hand."

May knew she couldn't let the pressure come to her or the race would be over and she would lose.

Simone told Maya "No cars ahead so drift at the next corner."

Maya said to herself "I couldn't be my usual self because I was too conscious of her. Deep down, I believed that no racer could follow us no matter how great he or she was. But now I see that I can't race well if my attention is on what's behind me so I'll never look back again."

Simone told Maya to drift at the next corner to try to pull away from May however May was able to keep with them.

At the start line, Akito said "There can't be many turns left." & Kenji agreed with Akito and said "I wonder if May's still chasing her."

Max said "There's only one thing May can't do and that's screw up." & Drew said "YEAH! If May slips up, it's over."

Ash said "I hope May doesn't crash or get seriously injured. I hate to see May bleeding in front of me."

Kenji told Max "You were spacing out for a while. It's so obvious you were thinking about Maya."

Max said "No, it's not like that!"

Kenji said "No need to hide it. I admit Maya's a cool girl. I don't know all the details but after this race, you should give it another try because you would be a fool to let her go so easily."

Max said "Kenji, I don't care."

Back to the race, May was keeping up with Maya. Simone told Maya to drift at the next corner but she was only inches from the guardrail and so was May. Simone warned Maya there was a car ahead but it was 3 turns away but she could enter the next turn at full speed.

Meanwhile, May said "I have to do something now before they get too far ahead of me. Ash, Max, Solidad, Drew, Kenji, Koichiro, Akito. I'm trusting you guys to have faith in me to win this race!"

Simone told Maya to be prepared for the car ahead. Both May and Maya were able to pass the car but it almost set up a huge crash.

May said "I dodged a bullet there. If she hit that car, there would have been a huge pile-up but I was able to escape because of my friends putting faith in me to win."

Maya said "Simone can time oncoming traffic perfectly. She can spot the distant headlights flashing through the leaves." & Simone said "Grip and stay inside!"

Simone told Maya good job after they went through that last turn but told her the race was not over yet. Simone then told Maya to drift at the next turn. May was drifting along the corner as well. Simone told Maya there were no cars ahead so she could drift at the next corner.

Simone said "Amazing, maybe too amazing. Good racers always leave room for error. It may look like they're exceeding their limits, but they only use full wheel grip when exiting a turn. They ease up on the wheel grip when braking into a corner because one mistake on an unforgiving course means a crash. But Maya has no margin for error right now. She's too focused to even realize it so should I mention it to her? It's my job to let her know what to do."

The two girls were still racing hard and neither one of them could make a mistake now. May said "Man, what a change! She picked up the pace again and if she goes any faster, I will exceed my limit. Even now, I'm barely in control abusing all 4 tires. DAMN IT! I may not make it."

May was now getting it clear this was now becoming more than a race; it was a test of endurance. Both cars were now getting faster and May was creeping right next to Maya and Simone. Maya was now flooring her Sileighty to the limit and May was now starting to lose a little ground to Maya.

Approaching the next turn, Simone told Maya "This is our last to shake her off so don't screw up now." and Maya said "I know this is our last chance."

Simone told Maya there were no cars ahead so she could go for it and May eased up on the gas so she could slow down for the next corner. Simone was surprised May wasn't following them and Maya went too sharp causing her to spin out.

May went full throttle on the gas again because she saw Maya's rear tires lose control. Simone was begging that May wouldn't hit them and May stepped on the gas to avoid hitting Maya and Simone. Maya said that she and Simone were saved and May said "That was the toughest race I have ever been in. I had to push my R34 to the limit tonight in order for me to win. That spinout was almost a catastrophe because I could of hit her car. Well, I'm glad that's over."

At the start line, Max said "Here they come. I wonder how the race went."

Ash, Drew, Akito, Koichiro, Kenji, and Solidad came to Max to see the cars coming back. When May and Maya stopped their cars to get out, Max said to May "SIS! How did the race go? Did you win?"

Drew said "I find it hard to believe" & Kenji said "I guess we don't need to run a 2nd race, huh?"

Simone then said "No 2nd race. It's all over." Kenji said "I knew it. She lost." & Solidad said "Even for May." & Max said "I hate to see my sister lose like this."

But Simone told the guys that she and Maya lost.

The guys went into shock and Max said "Come again?" & Kenji said "What did you just say?" Simone said "I said we lost so don't me repeat it. She won and we lost."

Max went to May and gave her a big hug and said "I am so proud of you, May. You won and you did it on a course you never raced at. I'm so impressed."

May said "Bro, you're squeezing me too tightly. Don't crush my bones."

Everyone drove down to a vending machine area. May and Ash got a Coca-Cola, Drew, Solidad, and Kenji got a Dasani, Koichiro, Max, Maya, and Simone got a coffee.

Simone said "I never imagined we would lose on our home turf." & May said "All I did was follow you two for the whole race before you spun out so I don't think I won." & Simone said "Don't be so modest. With your skills, you have the right to rub it in. We've put in hours of practice here so we were very confident we could win. You chose to chase us and we couldn't shake you off. We accept our defeat, right Maya?"

Maya came to May and said that was her best race ever and May said "I really had a ball racing you girls. It's cool to see so many girls getting into motorsports now so I think we should enjoy this opportunity."

Maya agreed with May and then May said "Bro, I'm too tired to drive back home so you take my R34 back to Haruna. I will ride with Ash."

Max said "Okay then. I promise not to smash up your precious R34." & May said "You better not crash my R34 or I will kill you." Max agreed with his sister.

May told Ash "I am glad you came to Usui. I'm way too exhausted to drive back home so you can drive me in your Supra."

Ash said "I guess I did do the right thing. I had to help a friend out and there's nobody I love hanging out with more than you, May."

Drew would drive everyone else back to Haruna and before everyone left, Simone told everyone "Me and Maya want to go parachuting. We've always wanted to try it."

Everyone agreed but May wasn't sure. Ash said "Do you want to go to parachuting tomorrow?"

May said "I am not sure, Ash. My car needs new rear shocks, the oil need to be changed, and it needs new brakes."

Ash said "You don't have to drive there. I will drive you and Max there."

May said "You know what, you and Max can go parachuting. I will stay back in Haruna and work on my R34."

Ash said "Well if you want to stay in Haruna tomorrow, I'm fine with that. Your owner's manual should tell you what to do."

Drew said "I will drive Solidad there. We're pretty much car pooling so we can save on gas."

Maya and Simone were happy everyone was going parachuting tomorrow. However Akito and Kenji said "We are not into parachuting. Is it okay if we don't go?"

Simone said "That's okay with me and Maya. I can understand why you don't want to go. Parachuting is not for everybody." Then everybody left to go home.


	20. Chapter 20: Summer Fun

JUNE 12, 1999

Ash and Max were ready to go parachuting. They would be going to a parachuting place in Saitama Prefecture. It was a few minutes before 7:00 AM before they left. Ash was wearing a black T-Shirt with an orange stripe in the middle and black denim shorts while Max was wearing a Mugen Motorsports T-Shirt he got in Usui after helping out Maya plus a pair of navy blue shorts.

Meanwhile May had just woken up. She said to Max and Ash "Good morning, you two. So are you excited about going parachuting?"

Ash said "You bet, May. We're so excited."

Max said "You will be missing out, sis."

Then May said "Well, I hope you have a lot of fun. I hope to see you tonight. Make sure you take some photos. By the way, Ash. I need your opinion on something."

Ash said "Sure, May. What do you need?"

May said "I can't decide between two brands of motor oil for my car. I wasn't sure what you thought about Mobil 1 and ENEOS."

Ash said "Well, for your car I would say that Mobil 1 is the best. That's what Nissan uses for the factory fill in the GT-R."

Max and Ash packed up Ash's Supra with snacks. Then Ash said to Max "Listen, Max. I can't drive the entire way there. You can drive my car but please don't wreck it."

Max said "Okay then, Ash. Do we have to make any stops before we go?"

Ash said "We have to fill up my Supra at Yuichi's gas station before we head out on the highway."

Ash started his Supra and they were off to the gas station. When they arrived, Drew said "Oh Ash. It's good to see you and Max. I guess that means I'm driving Solidad. Listen, when we get on the highway, I want you to be in front me but behind Maya and Simone. Do you like this plan?"

Ash said to Drew "Sounds like a good plan. I have to fill up my car and then we're on our way."

Koichiro decided to work at the station while everyone else went to Saitama.

After Ash was done filling his car with gasoline, he lead Drew and they were off to the highway. They left early because it would be a 2 and a ½ hour drive.

Before Drew and Ash got on the highway, they met up with Maya and Simone. Simone told everyone "Here's our plan. We will be the lead car. Ash, you will be the second car in line and your friend Drew will follow both of us." 2 minutes later, they all took off.

While Ash was driving, He said "I CAN'T WAIT! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!" Max said "Neither can I. This is going to be the best day of our lives yet."

In Drew's car, Solidad said "Ash said he and Max were going to have a blast. I agree with him. It looks like we will have some fun."

Drew said "You explained that perfectly, Solidad. Two exits from now, Me and Ash will switch drivers. Solidad, you will drive my car."

Maya and Simone stopped when Drew and Ash stopped to make driver changes. Max would drive Ash's car and Solidad would drive Drew's car.

Ash, Max, Solidad & Drew arrived at about 10:00 AM.

Ash said "This is going to be so awesome and I am glad I came today."

Simone then told everyone "All right, we're here. I hope you have a lot of fun." Everybody agreed with Simone.

Ash, Max, Drew, Solidad, Maya, and Simone entered the place so they could get some information. They were told they needed to take a test before they could go parachuting. First, they would watch a video about parachuting and learned what to do and what not to do. They were also lectured on how the parachute functions. The last part of the lesson was about safety and what happens if something went wrong. After the lesson which was about 30 minutes, they would take the test.

Everyone was told to take their time during the test and were also told not to look at anybody else's test. When everyone was done with their tests they handed them to the instructor. The instructor only took about 20 minutes to grade. Everyone did very well on the test. Ash and Max got every question correct while Drew, Simone, and Maya got one question wrong.

The instructor told everybody they did a great job. 3 minutes later everybody got ready to jump. Everyone was told they could choose what parachute they wanted. Ash chose blue, Max chose green, Drew chose orange, Maya chose pink, and Simone chose lime green.

They would be jumping out of a Viking Aircraft Twin Otter. As soon as everybody was ready they would head towards the plane.

Max said to Ash "I have never been so excited in my life. I CAN'T WAIT!" Ash said "I totally agree with you. Let's hope everything goes well."

Meanwhile in Haruna, May had just arrived at Yuichi's gas station. She had Koichiro back up her R34 onto a scissors lift. Then Koichiro raised the car high enough where May didn't have to bend on her knees. She said "Thank you, Koichiro."

At the parachuting place, Drew then said "I have always wanted to try this and now I get the chance." Before they got on the plane, Solidad decided to take some pictures of Ash, Max, Drew, Maya, and Simone. Since the plane was big enough for everybody to sit down in, they all went on the plane at the same time. The plane reached an altitude of 10,000 feet in less than 20 minutes. When they reached 10,000 feet the instructor gave everybody some final instructions. Afterwards everybody got ready to jump.

Back in Haruna, May continued to work on her R34. She had just finished changing her oil. She had to put 6 litres of oil because that was how much it took. She also got a Nissan oil filter. She then went on to install the new brakes.

Meanwhile, Ash, Max, Drew, Maya, and Simone were about to jump out of the plane. Everyone would jump one at a time to be safe. Ash went out first then Max, then Maya, Simone, and Drew jumped out last.

They all fell with great speed. When they reached 3000 feet they opened their parachutes. They all landed in an area labeled "Drop Zone" which meant it was the place to land. They all landed together at around the same time.

Max said to Ash "That was so much fun. It was more fun than watching May race Maya last night. Never had I had such an adrenaline rush in my entire life." Ash said "That's a memory I will certainly never forget.

Drew said to Max "WOW! That was so awesome. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did Max."

Max said "I had a great time. That was so much fun."

Everybody walked back with their parachutes back into the hangar so they could have their parachutes rigged by people who are paid to close re-opened parachutes. After they were done everybody decided to grab something to eat before returning home. They decided on a casual Japanese steakhouse because they wanted something good.

In Haruna, May had just finished with installing new brakes on her R34. She said "Thank goodness that's over with. I will have Ash install the new shocks on the car. He can do it better than I could." She turned to the sky and said to herself "I hope they're having fun in Saitama."

Then Norman stopped by. Yuichi came out to see him. He said "Norman, what are you doing here?"

Norman said "I heard May was here working on her car. How's she doing?"

Yuichi said "She just finished. She's in the garage."

Norman walked over to see May. When he got there, he said "Hey there May. How is everything going?"

May said "Everything is well, dad. What brings you here?"

Norman said "I heard you were working on your R34 here. What did you do to improve it?"

May said "Well I changed the oil and oil filter plus installed new Nissin brakes all the way around. Now it should be a beast on the downhill."

Norman said "Nice. By the way, how are Max and Ash doing? I heard they went parachuting somewhere in Saitama Prefecture."

May said "They haven't called me but I'm sure they're having fun. They said they would be back sometime this evening." May then left to go home.

At the restaurant, Max talked with Maya about racing. Maya then had to use the bathroom but she dropped her wallet. There was a photo in her wallet that shocked Max. He said "RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI?! Did Maya used to date him?"

After dinner, everybody decided to go home. Ash decided to drive Max while Drew said he would Solidad back to Maebashi. Drew left 15 minutes before Ash did.

Drew and Ash arrived in Haruna at about 6:30 PM. Ash dropped Max off at the place where he lives with Norman and Caroline and then Max got in his NSX. Ash decided to walk to his house from Caroline and Norman's house.

In Akagi, Ryousuke Takahashi was revving his FC when Keisuke came to him. Keisuke then said in his mind "He's finally ready to go head-to-head with that R34." & Ryousuke said "Do you want to come along? I will show you my fastest racer theory."

In Haruna, Max came to Yuichi at his gas station and said "Hey Yuichi, I'm sorry if I wasn't around today." & Yuichi said "You don't have to apologize. You should enjoy your youth while it lasts because it can't last forever." Max said "You're right. I have to enjoy my youth while it lasts."

At a place called "KAMAMESHI", Maya was waiting for Max.

Back in Haruna, Yuichi was talking to Max about how every girl had a crush on somebody else at some point in their life. Max told Yuichi "I am not sure if I can make it in time to see Maya. It will take at least an hour to get to Yokokawa. She won't wait for me."

Max then revved up his NSX then left to see Maya. While driving, Max said "God, please don't take my angel away from me. I want to see Maya's pretty face one more time.

In Kamameshi, Maya complained about wearing high heels saying she will never wear them again. Max was racing his way to Yokokawa and when he got there, it was too late. Max got out of his car and got upset that Maya wasn't there. He broke into tears which made Max really unhappy.


	21. Chapter 21: Challenge From The Legend

DATE- JUNE 13, 1999

Max was at the gas station talking with Akito about what to do this summer.

Max said "Yesterday was so much fun but I have to get back to racing. There will be a ton of races this summer and that's no lie."

Akito said "You're right. I think the summer will be full of racing."

Max said "There have been 5 races since I moved here and in 4, May was involved. First was her against Keisuke Takahashi. Then a week later, she took on Takeshi Nakazato and his R32. A couple weeks later was that duct tape death match with Shingo Shoji and Ash. Finally, Friday night May took on the Sileighty of Usui. I have to say there has been some good racing so far."

Akito agreed with Max about the races so far. May came and said "What are you doing here, Max?" Max told May he was hanging out with Akito and talking about how well she has done.

May said "Well, I have progressed a lot since my first race back in January with Keisuke Takahashi. I seem to get better with every race."

Max then said "You're right, sis. You have gotten better with each race."

That evening at Yuichi's gas station, Kenji said "We now know that May's technique is the real deal and can hold up anywhere." & Yuichi said "Everyone, it's more than technique. You need a natural talent to be able to race well on a new course."

Kenji then said "She's a genius because defeated racers with a lot more experience than her in that R34."

Drew said "I think it's amazing despite how young May is, she seems like she has raced for years. I am defiantly impressed with her style. Better yet, she did it with a brand new R34."

Max said to Kenji "You're the one who said she couldn't compete anywhere else because she only knew Haruna."

Kenji then said "I know I did, but…"

Yuichi said "We all thought that but May is in a different class than everyone else in Gunma. When I heard the news, I thought she wouldn't win in Usui against Maya's Sileighty."

Max however was embarrassed to hear Yuichi say Maya. Max said to Yuichi "No need for an apology. I have decided to go by Max Chan, The Lonely Racer."

Then a flower truck came to the station and Yuichi said "Flowers? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? This is a gas station." Then Yuichi looked at the note that came with the flowers & then said "May, it's for you."

May said "Who sent me flowers?"

Yuichi said "They're from Ryousuke Takahashi."

Kenji and Drew went in disbelief "RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI?"

Max said "Ryousuke Takahashi has decided to go mano y mano against my sister. I knew it was a matter of time before he would challenge her."

The note said "To red R34 of Haruna, 6/26 at 9:00 PM, Top of Mount Haruna."

May was reading the note Ryousuke Takahashi sent her and Max came to her and said "Let me look at that note. June 26th at 9:00 PM at the top of Mount Haruna. Oh boy, I knew this was coming."

Kenji then said "Is that all it says?

Drew said "I knew Ryousuke was going to take on May sometime this summer. I didn't think it would be in June but I guess we can't back down. I knew it would a downhill battle as well. Boy, the summer weekend nights are going to be hotter than a KISS concert."

Max then said "It's finally here, a challenge from Ryousuke Takahashi for a downhill battle."

Max, Kenji, and Drew then screamed "WOW!"

Max said "Are you going to race Ryousuke Takahashi, sis?" & Kenji said "She has to accept the challenge. Besides, she has smoked his younger brother Keisuke."

Max then said "That's right. Avoiding a rematch is more humiliating than losing one."

The next day at Lake Haruna, May and Solidad went out to talk about May's race.

Solidad said "So you're taking on Ryousuke Takahashi? That should turn out a huge crowd. I heard from Drew that you are like being considered as Ryousuke Takahashi's protégé."

May said "Yeah Solidad! If there are 2 careers I am interested in, it's racing and cooking. It's tough to choose only one" Solidad said "I hear you, May. Choosing between two things you love can be tough."

That night, Kenji was driving around Haruna in his 180SX. He stopped at a traffic light when he saw May in her R34.

Kenji then said "That's May's R34. She looks a lot different than normal."

May then drove off and Kenji was holding up traffic because the light had just turned green so he had to move.

The next day at the gas station, the guys were having a little chat.

Max said "May's been acting weird?

Kenji then said "What's so weird?

Drew said "May hasn't been the same the past 2 days. I think the pressure has really gotten to her. She was fine until Ryousuke Takahashi sent her those flowers"

Max then said "Is she tired from all the races?" & Kenji said "That race last week in Usui took a lot out of her."

Drew then said "I don't think that's it. I think this race coming up is messing up her head."

Max said "Whoa is May going to be able to race like that?"

Kenji then said "I saw May in town last night in her R34. She didn't look like her old self. I think this race is putting her under a lot of pressure."

Drew then said "I can understand that, Kenji. The pressure she's facing is unlike anything else she faced in her life. She was a bit nervous in the national high school American Football semifinals but she did beat my team from Myogi. She was also under a lot of pressure in the championship game but she had a flawless game. She threw no incomplete passes or interceptions."

Max then said "I remember that game. It was the biggest night in May's life and she did fantastic."

The next night, Max took May out for a ride in his NSX on Mount Haruna.

May said to Max "What's on your mind, bro?"

Max said to her "I am really worried you may not win, sis. This could be the hardest race yet so do you have any strategy?"

May said "I will not lose, bro. I want to make Haruna proud of me. There is no chance I am losing to Ryousuke Takahashi. I know he's the best in pretty much all of Kanto."

A few minutes later, Max pulled over on a shoulder. He noticed that May had become a little down on herself.

May then said "Why are you staring at me, bro?" & Max said "Listen, May. You have not been yourself lately." & May said "I have?"

Max then said "This race is the biggest race of your life. You can't be like this if you are going to race Ryousuke Takahashi."

May then said "You're right, bro. I've also been wondering what will happen to me in the future."

Max then said "Now is not the time to think about the future."

In Akagi, Keisuke was tutoring a guy named Kenta Nakamura on the mountain pass. Kenta drives an orange S14.

Noriyuki said "No wonder. It's Keisuke's FD and Kenta's S14." & another guy named Katsuya said "Kenta's fast on the downhill because of the training he has received from Keisuke. His S14 is made for it because it's a non-turbo."

Noriyuki then said "Keisuke took him under his wing and has been personally training him."

Katsuya then said "He's our #2 successor after Keisuke.

Noriyuki then said "The battle against the Night Kids is in two days. Keisuke should not be wasting time with Kenta."

Katsuya then said "He must be confident."

Noriyuki then said "I guess Takeshi Nakazato is easy prey."

Katsuya then to Noriyuki said "Keisuke has been of fire lately. Don't you think he's been driving like Ryousuke lately?"

Noriyuki then said "Yeah, I've noticed that. Ryousuke must be feeling pretty confident about his younger brother."

Katsuya then said "I heard that's why he's not coming to Myogi."

After Keisuke and Kenta were done practicing on Akagi, Kenta said to Keisuke "Can I ask you a question, Keisuke?" and Keisuke said "Okay so what is it?"

Kenta said "Why aren't we challenging the R34 from Haruna? We should have her come here to Akagi for revenge."

Keisuke said "Akagi, huh?" & Kenta said "YES! There's no way you can lose to the R34 on our turf. If you don't want to do it, then I will do it!"

Keisuke said "Forget it, Kenta." & Kenta said "Why? You think she'll beat me? Not on Akagi's downhill course." Keisuke then said "That's beside the point. You're now a part of the Red Suns so don't you forget it. We race on our opponents' courses."

Kenta said "I know we do but I can't take it. That R34 got the best of us! If we can only battle fair and square. Please let me take her on!"

Keisuke said "BE PATIENT! Don't worry. When the opportunity arises, the person who needs to put an end to it will do just that."

Kenta said "You mean Ryousuke will."

Keisuke said "Be patient. First, let's focus on the Night Kids race. Leave everything to us." Keisuke then drove off in his FD.

The next day in Haruna at Yuichi's gas station Drew, Kenji, and Max were staring at May. May was staring at her car.

Max then said "She does seem weird." & Drew said "We can't let her be like this much longer."

Kenji then said to Max "We have to do something. We only have a week until the big race."

Drew then said "We're in serious trouble."


	22. Chapter 22: Fierce Uphill Battle

DATE: JUNE 19, 1999

At Yuichi's gas place, May was reading some car magazines while Max was talking with Kenji and Drew.

Max said "There has to be a way to make May stop acting so weird. Do you have any suggestions, guys?"

Drew said "Well, the race isn't until next week. I'm glad that the race isn't tonight."

Kenji said "Aren't the Red Suns battling the Night Kids on Myogi?"

Drew said "I think you're right, Kenji. Akito told me yesterday that the Red Suns were going to Myogi to challenge the Night Kids tonight."

Max said "I think that would work. Nice plan by the way, Drew."

Drew said "Why thank you, Max. I know your sister and I have never been best friends but as soon as I found out she was racing an R34 on Haruna, I started to have nicer feelings about her."

Max said "Well that's great you are starting to have nicer feelings about May."

While the guys were talking, a red Supra came to the station and the guys were shocked to find out who it was. Max said "ASH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Ash said "I thought May was here and I was right. What were you guys talking about?"

Drew said "Tonight, the Red Suns are racing the Night Kids in Myogi and May has a race a week from today."

Ash said "That sounds good but I have to work tonight so I am going to miss it. Sorry guys, it's not my fault. Some guy hasn't been feeling good so he asked me to work for him tonight."

Max said "That's okay. I was going with May anyways so see you later."

Ash said "Take care now."

At around 6:30 PM, Drew said to May "You want to go to Myogi tonight?"

May said "Sure but what's up in Myogi?"

Drew said "The Red Suns and the Night Kids are racing so I thought you would be interested in watching the race."

May said "Okay then. Consider it a deal."

Drew said "Thank you. We will take your R34 there because it's a little better on gas than my GC8. We better hurry because Akito said we should be there before 8:00 PM."

At Myogi, there was a huge crown on hand to watch this race. Max was driving Kenji and Akito.

When they found a spot to park Max's NSX, they got out of the car and Max said "The crowd's huge. Do you see May and Drew anywhere, Akito?"

Akito said no and Max said "I sure hope Drew was able to pull this off."

At a light, Drew said "Hurry up, May or we will miss the race. We got lost because you did not want to take the toll road."

May said "Look at who's talking. You were the one who wanted to take only one car to save on gasoline."

Drew said "I have never heard of a racer with no sense of direction."

May was looking at a map to find a way to Mount Myogi and she found one and Drew said "We better hurry!"

At Myogi, Keisuke Takahashi was looking at Takeshi Nakazato.

Nakazato said "You made me wait." and Keisuke said "The main character always shows up last." Nakazato said to Keisuke "Myogi's ravine is steep so try not to die." & Keisuke said "Enough. Your hands are shaking. Don't worry, it will be quick. No Night Kid can touch me."

Takeshi said "Your arrogance could end your life." The racers heard thunder and Keisuke that they start now before it rains.

Then, people told Keisuke and Takeshi that an R34 was coming.

Kenta said "Could that be the R34 from Haruna?"

While May was driving Drew, Drew said "Check out this huge crowd!"

May said "Concentrate on finding Akito, Kenji and Max, okay?"

Drew said that it was hard to find Kenji and Max because the crowd was so big and May asked where should she park and Drew said there was a big parking lot on the top of the mountain.

May agreed with Drew's idea and headed up to the top of Myogi.

Keisuke said "I knew she would come. You are firing me up." & Nakazato said "R34 of Haruna, I will show you how much I have improved."

While May was driving to the top, people were stunned by the appearance and Drew said "The R34 of Haruna is now famous. I think it was a good idea to bring your car here tonight."

At the start line, Shingo told both racers to come to the start line. The race would be an uphill battle to the top of Myogi.

A guy told Shingo the road was clear and could start at anytime.

Shingo then went "RACERS READY? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"

When the race started, both Keisuke and Nakazato got off to quick starts with Nakazato taking the early lead.

Kenta said in his mind that Keisuke would win the race.

Shingo said that Nakazato couldn't lose on their home turf or that would make the Night Kids look bad.

In Akagi, Ryousuke was sitting in his computer chair when he saw rain pouring outside the house. Ryousuke said "The FD's best weapon is its high cornering speed so don't you forget that, Keisuke."

Back in Myogi, May was talking with Drew about Myogi's course.

Drew said to May "Do you think Myogi's course is similar to Haruna's course?"

May said "I do not know, Drew. It looks a lot like the pass in Usui."

Drew said "Myogi is nothing like Usui!"

Drew then said in his mind that his plan wasn't working well because he thought that May was still out of it. Drew told May to take a good look at Myogi and May said "What I meant by saying that Usui and Myogi were similar is the rhythm is similar."

Drew said "The rhythm is the same as Usui?"

While the race was going on, Keisuke and Nakazato were racing hard on Myogi trying to be the first one to the top. Nakazato was starting to pull away a little from Keisuke.

Nakazato said "I have got to be careful because the FD is quick around corners. I never thought anyone could follow me up Myogi's hill."

Keisuke said "He starting to abuse the steering. He's trying to speed away. If he did that on a downhill course, his tires would compress."

The action was now starting to get much faster and both racers were pushing each other to the limit.

Meanwhile Noriyuki and Katsuya were watching the race from the mid-point. Noriyuki said to Ryousuke "They just crossed the mid-point and Nakazato leads however it's very close."

Ryousuke said "I see but tell me one thing, how did Keisuke look coming out of the turn?"

Noriyuki said to Ryousuke "He was one step slower than Nakazato but overall he seems under control and very smooth unlike Nakazato's aggressive, but inconsistent run."

Ryousuke then said "Thanks for the update, Noriyuki." He then said in his head "You have improved, Keisuke, to be able to race like that."

A guy told the start line people that Nakazato was leading and the race was tight and Shingo said "It sounds like Takeshi is doing well." & another Night Kid said "He has been training hard. He became a different person after losing to the R34."

Shingo said "I have always considered Takeshi my enemy. But now knowing he is fighting for our pride, I can feel the adrenaline rush in my blood. I have never felt this way before. Win Takeshi! It's for our pride!"

At the top of Myogi, Drew said "I can hear the tires but I can't see them."

May then felt a strange noise and said to Drew "RAIN."

Other people were saying "Oh no! They are racing at full speed! It's most dangerous when it starts to rain because the rain lifts up the dirt and oil on the surface making it slippery."

Nakazato said "DAMN! It's raining now." & Keisuke said "I have got to be alert. I could lose control without warning."

Drew then said that the rain was starting to get heavier and was hoping that they wouldn't stop the race. May then asked a question to Drew.

She said "Drew, since that's the finish line, this must be the last corner, right?" Drew said yes to May.

May said "If this is the finish line, then this must be the start line for the downhill races."

Drew said "I think you're right, May."

The cars were coming to the final corner at a high rate of speed with Nakazato still leading.

Keisuke went to the inside approaching the final corner. Keisuke knew he had to make a move at the final corner to win the race.

Nakazato said "Are you really asking for it? You will crash into the wall with that much speed!" The two were approaching the finish line and it was neck and neck.

At the finish, Keisuke won by only a few feet over Nakazato.

Drew said "I am so impressed. Keisuke Takahashi is so good!"

May said "This is the 1st time that I was inspired by other racers. Seeing a great race like that makes me restless."

Keisuke and Nakazato then got out of their cars. Nakazato said "You got lucky, Keisuke."

Keisuke said "Luck had nothing to do with it. Skill won the race for me. The last corner was a downhill corner so I knew it would come down to the front tires. You couldn't control them because they were too compressed. I kept up my speed but maintained the pressure of my tires. It was skill."

Soon after, cars were coming to the finish line and when Kenta got there, he said "WAY TO GO, KEISUKE! YOU SMOKED HIM!"

A guy asked Nakazato if they should do a downhill race but he said no because the rain was getting heavier.

Kenta said to Keisuke "Can I race the R34? This isn't Akagi or her home course so this is as far as it gets."

While May and Drew were listening to Kenta's plan, Max came to them and said hey.

May said "Oh hello bro. It's nice to see you tonight."

Max said "I am glad I'm here. Who is that guy?" & Drew said he had no clue.

Then Kenta walked to May and said "So you are May Chan? I'm Kenta Nakamura of the Akagi Red Suns. How about you and me race in this rain?"

Keisuke said to Kenta that he needed to talk with Ryousuke before they could race but Kenta wanted the spectators to decide.

The spectators all said yes but Max said "May has a battle against Ryousuke Takahashi a week from tonight."

Kenta said "I am first. If you cannot beat me, then you are not worth Ryousuke's time. What do you say, Miss Chan? I love racing in rainy conditions."

May said "Okay then. IT'S ON! It's you and your S14 against me and my R34!"

Keisuke said "Hold it." & Nakazato then said "No stopping it now. She is not anyone's private target. Every racer in Kanto wants a piece her. I know you understand that feeling."

Kenta then said "You got it. A downhill race in the rain. That makes it a pure skill race. Set your proud R34 next to my S14."

May said "Let's go, Drew. If I leave you here, I would have to come back up to pick you up so that's wasting gasoline. Let's race straight down then we will go back home."

Drew said "So, I am getting in, right?"

May said yes and told Drew to get in the back seat. Drew thought this was a bad strategy but May told him "Maybe it is. Maybe not."

Drew said "How am I supposed to stay seated when you drift?"

May said "You will manage. It's only from here to the bottom of the mountain."

People were saying there was another race and May would be in it.

Nakazato said there was no traffic so it was clear to start.

May and Kenta pulled their cars to the start.

Max said "I was not expecting this." and Kenji said "There is no backing down now."

Drew said "Are you sure you will be okay in the rain?"

May said "I am not sure, Drew. I can't go too fast in rainy conditions so I will drive normally. Who knows if I will be fast or slow? I will take it easy because if I crashed, Ash would kill me."

Drew said "That's true. But if she loses, then there won't be a race against Ryousuke Takahashi a week from tonight!"

Keisuke began the countdown by saying "RACER READY? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"

May and Kenta drove off to the first corner.


	23. Chapter 23: The Rainy Downhill

When we last left off, May and Kenta started their battle to the bottom of Myogi.

While watching the race, Max said "The S14 got off to a faster start." & Kenji said "Well, the S14 is not a turbo, but it has a 2 litre engine."

Takeshi said "It's not only the size of the engine. He used the clutch well on the wet surface. No wonder he's confident."

Keisuke said "That wasn't the R34's best start. She knows she can catch up once she gets going."

While racing, May was starting to catch Kenta. Drew said "He took the lead! Oh no! His S14 will widen the gap and we will be left behind!"

When May and Kenta approached the next corner, Kenta started to pull away. Some guy said that this was too much for May and her R34 but another guy said that it would be downhill from where he was to the finish line.

While walking, Keisuke's cell phone rang and it was his brother, Ryousuke. Ryousuke said "So Kenta and the R34 are racing in the rain?"

Keisuke said "YES! Kenta said he's very confident racing against the R34 but I know it won't be easy."

Ryousuke said "I agree. Drifting through corners at low speed is completely different from an actual race."

Keisuke then said to Ryousuke that it gets difficult when they floor the gas pedal and Ryousuke said that the grip is limited in rainy conditions.

While the race was still going on, May was cornering sending Drew back and forth in the back seat and said "I AM NOT READY TO DIE!"

At a corner, Kenji said to Drew and Akito "The rain is now coming down harder than before."

Max said "The opponent's from Akagi so neither one has a clear advantage."

Akito said "I wonder if she can perform in the rain?"

Max said "I am sure May can pull it off because she's a police officer. She started racing again earlier this month. Between the time of her race against that Mustang from Saitama and the battle a couple weeks ago against Maya Sato in Usui, there were some rainy days when she was on patrol. I think she will do fine."

While racing Kenta said "I won't let you catch up! I will widen the gap. In the rain, I can even outrace a turbo charged engine like your RB26DETT."

Kenta swung the rear of his S14 at the next corner and seemed to lose a little control of his car.

Meanwhile, May was approaching the corner and she drifted causing every spectator to be amazed at her speed.

Drew said "Is this the same person who was out of it earlier today? She said she would take it easy, so is this how she normally races? Besides, it's impossible to see in this rain. How does she do it? It's so dark that I can't even see the road!"

May was now starting to speed up and her ringing noise was because her R34 was going so fast.

May then drifted at the next corner and Drew said that she was not human but a monster.

Meanwhile, Kenta seemed like he had beaten May but was shocked when May was right on his tail. He said "How could she be on my tail? It can't be! What's happening? We haven't gone through many downhill corners. This can't be happening! I got caught so easily going downhill in the rain but it's not over yet."

May was staying on Kenta's rear bumper and then she went to the outside to try to pass Kenta but had to slow down because a corner was coming up. Then she went to the inside and shocked Kenta with her amazing speed. Some people were saying that it was worth waiting in the rain because the race was getting exiting.

Kenta said "I can't keep up! The gap widens with each corner! I can't go around the corners with that speed. What could be making the difference? I thought the rain was to my advantage!"

At the top of Myogi, Nakazato said to Keisuke that May passed Kenta and Keisuke said "It was obvious before the race that weather has no effect in defeating that R34."

Nakazato then said that it was Ryousuke's turn to take on May and her R34.

The next day at Yuichi's gas station, Drew, Kenji, Akito, and Max were talking about the race last night.

Max said "Now we know May can race well in rainy conditions"

Kenji said "She's becoming more like a real racer every day. She willingly took the S14's challenge last night."

Drew said "I think we can say our plan was a success because May doesn't seem to be out of it anymore."

Max said "Anyway, you were lucky to be able to experience the race."

Drew said "It was so scary that I thought I wouldn't come out alive! Besides, she told me to sit in the back seat."

The guys then thought of a reason of why Drew was in the back seat when Kenji said "I got it! The reason why you were forced to sit in the back seat is because you're annoying, Drew."

Max and Drew fell to the ground and Kenji then went on to say "It must be hard to focus when Drew is screaming next to you."

Max then said "That makes perfect sense."

Drew said "That's why!

Then the guys laughed and so did Yuichi but he said in his mind "THAT'S NOT IT YOU IDIOTS! May had Drew in the back seat because she knew she could get extra tire traction in the rear. I bet she knew that instinctively. I don't have a clue at how much better she will get."

Later that day, May looked at her car and said "It looks dirty. I guess it was all from last night. I better wash it."

May filled a bucket of water with special car washing soap to clean her R34 and started to wash her car.

Meanwhile, Ash got a phone call from the drift king himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya.

Ash went "Hello, who is this?" & Tsuchiya said "I know it's been a while, Morikawa."

Ash said "Oh, I know who that is. It's Keiichi Tsuchiya. What the occasion, Drift King? Were you in an accident and put in a hospital?"

Tsuchiya said "You wish, Morikawa. I hear people are talking about your girlfriend, May Chan. I hear she's excellent."

Ash then said "What? This Saturday? Against Ryousuke Takahashi? I know him. He's the fastest in all of Kanto."

Tsuchiya then said "You are absolutely on the money, Ash. He's the best in Kanto."

Tsuchiya then asked who would win and Ash said to wait until Saturday night. As soon as Ash was finished talking with Keiichi Tsuchiya, he went outside to find May washing her car.

That night, Drew drove his GC8 on Mount Haruna trying for a joyride. He was also driving May.

While riding in the passenger seat, May said "I can tell that you've improved a lot, Drew."

Drew said "You really think so? That means a lot coming from you, May! I've been practicing the grip run, you know?"

After taking a corner, Drew then said "I am about to show you a brilliant technique of mine that resulted from hours of practice. I call it ILLUSIONARY HELL & TEAR!"

Drew tried to do the technique but when released the clutch, his car stalled and then said "This is strange! I had no problem yesterday. I will try it in the next corner!"

Before the next corner, Drew made a complete stop and May said "Hold on, Drew!"

When Drew was finished with his run, he took May to a vending machine. May got a Coca-Cola while Drew got a Sprite.

Drew then said "I can relax now. Me and the guys were worried you were zoned out again."

May then swallowed a gulp of Coca-Cola and said "Zoned out? What do you mean by that?! I wasn't doing that!"

Drew then said to May "But you were acting so weird." & May said "I told that I was thinking about what would happen after the race with Ryousuke Takahashi, regardless of the outcome."

Drew was a little confused about what May said and May then went on to say "Don't you get what I'm saying?"

Drew then said "No idea." He took a sip of his Sprite and then said "It's all a riddle to me. Why do you need anything after the race? You don't need anything. You're already fast as it is."

May then said "I am not fast."

Drew said "YES, YOU ARE! You have an undefeated streak going."

May then said "I don't know. I just don't know where I'm headed. If I win it could open many doors for me."

Drew then said "Can't you focus on the big race for now? You don't have much time left."

May then said "Ryousuke Takahashi…"

3 minutes later, Drew and May left Mount Haruna to return to the place they live in with Ash.


	24. Chapter 24: Akagi's White Comet

DATE: JUNE 23, 1999

May was with Max at Lake Haruna talking about her race with Ryousuke Takahashi coming up Saturday.

Max said "I can't wait until Saturday because of your race with Ryousuke Takahashi. Man I am getting so excited as the days pass. Tell me sis, do you have any special strategies?"

May said "I don't have anything special planned for this race so I guess we will find out Saturday. If my opponent's faster, then I will lose otherwise than that I will win."

Max said he was counting on her sister to win.

Later that day, Drew and Max were working at Yuichi's gas station. Kenji then came to the gas station with Akito. When he pulled up, Max said "Oh, it's only you Kenji."

Kenji got out of his car with a videotape and said "I got something very interesting."

Drew said "You mean a football movie, Kenji?" & Kenji said "Sorry, Drew. This is better than that!"

Max, Akito, Drew, and Kenji then went inside to watch the tape. Max said "It looks like they're racing." & Drew said "It doesn't look like Haruna." Kenji then told them to keep watching the tape

Max then saw something on the tape and said "Can we watch that last part again in slow motion?"

What the video showed was Ryousuke Takahashi and Drew went "IT'S RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI! He looks so much younger"

Kenji told him the video was taken about 3 years ago. Max wanted to know how Kenji got the tape and Kenji said he got it from a diehard Ryousuke Takahashi fan who videotaped all his races.

The guys were watching Ryousuke drift and they were amazed at how he drifts.

Kenji then said "Angling into a corner like that is miraculous." & Drew said "THAT'S SO COOL!"

Akito then said "I remember I was there. That was amazing. Back then, he was a lone wolf and didn't belong to any team. They call him Akagi's White Comet."

Drew then said "Akagi's White Comet, huh? That sounds so cool that I'm shivering. What about the Red Suns?"

Max then said "Ryousuke personally handpicked a few premium street racers to form the Red Suns. That's why the quality of his team is much higher than that of our "friendly" team. Now he and Keisuke are known as the "The Rotary Brothers", but to me, he will always be Akagi's White Comet."

Yuichi then walked over and said "What are you guys watching?"

Max said "I am sorry, boss! Turn it off.", but Yuichi said "It's okay. Keep watching."

Yuichi then watched the tape. The tape now was showing Ryousuke drifting with Keisuke.

Yuichi said "That's good stuff. May is racing him, right?" & Drew said "That's the guy May is racing Saturday night."

Kenji then said "I bet this race will draw the biggest crowd ever."

Max said "Ryousuke Takahashi is a superstar and people are saying that May is his protégé and now is famous as the driver of Haruna's R34."

Drew then said "That's right. A mysterious downhill specialist has suddenly appeared in Haruna this year! I'm so excited! Honestly, who do you think will win?"

Max said "I hate to say this but I don't think May has a chance against Ryousuke Takahashi. The opponent's unreal and he's the best."

Kenji then said "I have to agree. Ryousuke Takahashi is ridiculously fast."

Drew then said "That fast, huh?"

Max then said "He was already the fastest then, but he has gotten even faster. On top of all the street races, he's won the Kanto Gymkhana championship twice and has competed in many circuit races also and has never lost a race. He holds many course records and has never lost a race. His undefeated streak in unbroken."

Kenji then said "And they say that he has never had to give his all in any of his races."

Drew then went into shock and Max said "He only uses half his ability and still defeats any opponent with ease, so no one has ever really seen his absolute best yet."

The video ended and Max went on to say "Well, if May can keep up with him, it's a job well done."

Drew was about to say something but Yuichi said to Max "There you go with negativity again. Can't you be more optimistic?"

Max then said "Then who do you think will win, boss?"

Drew then said "May has beaten Ryousuke's brother Keisuke and Nakazato of the Night Kids! And there was Usui's Sileighty and the race in the rain! I think she will do just fine."

Later that day, May was talking with Ash about her R34 and saying it was all set.

Ash then asked "How much power does it have?" May said "I would say it has 275 horsepower." & Ash went "275? But your car usually produces 425 horsepower. What have you done to your car?"

May said "I had someone tweak the engine control unit so it could less power but still go fast. Power isn't everything, Ash. I think it will come down to skill to figure out who wins this race."

Ash said "Well, you are probably on to something May. Sometimes power doesn't play a factor in who wins a race so you could be able to pull it off."

May said she wanted to do a test on Haruna and Ash agreed with her. While driving, Ash said "Even with less power, she's fast. If she keeps her cool, she'll win no doubt about it."

While watching May and Ash race, Solidad said "I think May and Ash are out here tonight because May wants to be prepared for her race Saturday night. That a girl May."

At the top, May said to Ash "That was something fun." & Ash said "You are right, May. Believe in yourself and you will win for sure."

Then a girl said "Sounds like you two are talking strategy." May said "Oh, Solidad, nice to see you here. What brings you here to Haruna?"

Solidad said "Drew told me you were preparing for your race Saturday night so I wanted to check it out."

Ash said "That's okay, Solidad. I think you can cheer May on."

Solidad said she was coming and Ash said that would be great.

At a restaurant in Akagi, Hiroshi said "Ryousuke, you got another invite from a professional team. They called me today."

Kenta then said "Again? WOW!" & Keisuke wanted to know which team.

Hiroshi then said "It's the Hoshiya Team. They're looking for a young, premium racer. They want you to call them right away to set up an interview."

Kenta then went on to say "I know for sure that you'll make a great pro! It's very exciting"

Keisuke then asked "What are you going to do, brother?

Ryousuke took a sip of coffee and said "Turn it down for me."

Hiroshi, Keisuke, and Kenta were all shocked to hear what Ryousuke said.

Ryousuke then said "Like I said before, I have no desire to go pro."

Keisuke then said "What a waste! Can't you at least talk to them?" & Kenta said "Your brother is right, Ryousuke."

Ryousuke then said "I am not interested in the professional racing world. I'm only attracted to street racing, where anyone can freely express themselves. The Gymkhana and circuit competitions are the path I took to master street racing. Right now, there's only one thing on my mind and that's the R34 on Saturday night."

In Haruna, Ash pulled into Yuichi's gas station with May's R34. Ash said to Yuichi "Are you done working? You want to go for a spin?"

Yuichi said "With you?" & Ash said "Sure. I've readjusted the car, so I thought I'd go for an easy drive. May detuned the engine but it's still fast."

Yuichi then said "An easy drive? I hate it when you talk like that."

Ash then took Yuichi to Mount Haruna for a drive. Yuichi asked Ash "Did you readjust the car for the big race?"

Ash said "That's right. I think I will speed up a little, Yuichi.

Yuichi was shocked to hear what Ash said. He then said "Hold on!" He grabbed on to the door handle and said "I am ready. Just a little but, okay?"

Ash then sped up heading into the next corner. He drifted the R34 into the corner.

Yuichi then said "What entry speed. I feel the G-force diagonally behind me."

Ash then took his hand of the steering wheel. Yuichi wanted to know why and Ash said "I wanted to try this." & Yuichi said loudly "STOP THAT!"

Ash then exited the corner and nearly hit the guardrail. He said "Not too bad." Yuichi then took a deep breath and Ash said "I am serious this time!"

Ash then drifted into the next corner and Yuichi screamed "LET ME OUT!"

The next day in Akagi, Ryousuke told Keisuke "The tires and engine are adjusted for the race."

Keisuke then asked "How much horsepower does it have now?" & Ryousuke said "Well, I'd say its max power is about 260 horsepower." Keisuke went "260 HP? You downgraded it. It had at least 350 HP before. Why did you make it slower?"

Ryousuke then said to Keisuke "You should remember that, at times, you need less horsepower to run faster. That's how deep street racing it." The key to downhill success isn't power, it's balance. I thought I had adjusted my FC to make it as fast as possible both uphill and downhill. I knew I could handle even more power downhill so I upgraded the turbine and raised the firing speed. In the end, I had to lose all that power. Regardless of the reason, this downgrade was humiliating to me because I had to throw away my pride for this race."

Keisuke then said "That R34 is that tough of an opponent?" & Ryousuke said "I am lucky I have met a such an extraordinary racer. My racer blood's boiling up."

Then Ryousuke decided they would do a test run on Akagi.

Keisuke said in his head "Less power, but fast! He clears the corners faster. There's no way my brother will lose to her now!"

Ryousuke then said in his head "I am not Ryousuke Takahashi of the Red Suns anymore. I am the lone wolf known as Akagi's White Comet. I will win this race no matter what it takes."

On June 26, Max said to May "I am so exited. Tonight's the night you take on Ryousuke Takahashi, sis. How are you feeling?"

May said "I am feeling a little nervous right now but I will do fine." Max said "That's good to hear. I'm driving our dad to Mount Haruna because he wants to see you win. Are you driving anyone in your car?"

May said "I am driving Ash with me in my R34. He hasn't been able to watch me race but knows this is one race he can't miss."

Max said "I see. Ash is coming because he can't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Solidad's coming as well because she wants to see you race."

Later that day, Yuichi watched cars go by his gas station and said to himself "Those racers are heading to Haruna. It's finally here."

Max said to Yuichi "I have finished cleaning up so I am waiting for Kenji to pick me up."

Yuichi said "You're going to the race, right?

Max said "Of course. I have to root for my sister."

Yuichi then said "You still don't think May can win?

Max said "No. I know she's exceptional, but she just graduated high school. She still has very little experience. I wonder how long she'll even be able to stay in the race."

Yuichi then said "Not me. I actually think she has a chance."

Max wanted to know why and Yuichi about to say something when Drew pulled in.

Max said "Hey." & Kenji said the same. Max then told Yuichi "I better hurry. Good night." Then Kenji left with Max.

Yuichi went inside and sat on the couch and also lit a cigarette. He then said in his head "The only reason I think May has a chance is that she is an excellent racer. She has what it takes to beat Ryousuke Takahashi."

On Mount Haruna, cars were coming in all over the road. Kenji was driving Max to the top of the mountain. He said "The crowd is gigantic, as expected."

Max said "If I were May, I would want to run away. I would be petrified in front of all these people."

Then Maya and Simone came in their Sileighty.

One spectator said "Isn't that Usui's Sileighty?"& his friend said "Really?"

The spectator said "I was right." & his friend "They're both cute." The spectator and his friend agreed that Maya and Simone were cute

Meanwhile, Maya and Simone got out of their car. Simone said "How about around here? We may see some good tactics at these complex corners. By the way, Maya, who are rooting for?

Maya said "Who am I rooting for?"

Simone said "The R34, right? Me too. She has a mysterious charisma that only those who have raced her can recognize. You want to root for her even though she beat you. Besides, she's so cute! Right?" Maya then said "Come on, Simone."

At the top of Mount Haruna, people were gathering on the access roads. Drew looked at his watch. The time was around 8:30 meaning there were 30 minutes until the race would begin. Drew also said he was so excited about the race.

Then everyone heard more cars rolling in. It was the Takahashi brothers along with the rest of the Red Suns.

Max said "Here come the Red Suns."

People were cheering for Ryousuke and Keisuke.

One spectator said "The Takahashi brothers are so cool!" People were screaming for Ryousuke because they all admired him.

Solidad said "With all these people here, it's giving me goose bumps. May, I hope you win."

Max then said "Ryousuke Takahashi is finally here." & Kenji said "Now we wait for May to show up."

Ryousuke and Keisuke then stepped out of their cars along with the other members of the Red Suns.

Ryousuke said "The R34 is not here yet." & Keisuke then said "I expected that. She always shows up at the very last minute."

People were now waiting for May to arrive.

Ryousuke then said "Keisuke, I've been thinking about this for a long time, but when I lose a street race, I will retire."

Keisuke then said "WHAT?! What are you saying? You'll never lose."

Ryousuke then said "Just hear me out. By "retire," I don't mean quitting racing. I will step down from the #1 spot. I will still continue to contribute to the team.

Keisuke then said "What about our fastest in Kanto plan? It can't happen without you!"

Ryousuke then said "Don't make a face. I have no intention of losing yet. Remember this, though. It's inevitable that someday I will lose to someone. By the way, there are only two racers who I think could beat me one day. One of them is you, Keisuke."

Keisuke then said "Me?" & Ryousuke then said "That's right. I see a racing genius within you. You'll be even faster one day. And the other is…"

Then people were shouting because another car had come. It was May and her R34. She was driving Ash to the top of the mountain.

Drew then said "May is finally here! YAY, MAY!"

Keisuke then said "The other one is the R34, isn't it?"

Ryousuke chuckled then said "I won't lose to anyone just yet. Tonight, I'm ready for my full-scale drift battle!"


	25. Chapter 25: R34 vs FC

When we last left off, May was arriving to the top of Mount Haruna to race Ryousuke Takahashi, the #1 racer in Gunma.

People were in awe when May arrived. When May parked her car in front of Ryousuke's FC, she stepped out of the car along with Ash.

Drew then went over to talk with May. He said "MAY!" & Max said "Good luck, sis!

Drew then said "I believe in you! I know you can win! And I hope you beat Ryousuke Takahashi and become the fastest racing star in Gunma, May."

Ash then said "Whoa, calm down, Drew. Don't get too far ahead of yourself. The race hasn't even started. Get off her now!"

Keisuke then said "You're late. It's already 9:00 PM. You're still so ignorant."

Ryousuke then said "I have been waiting for you." He then stared at May and walk over to her.

He then said "It's impressive that you've learned so much technique at such a young age."

May said "I usually race on Haruna more than others so I'm used to it by now. I don't have any special techniques that make me stand out over other racers. I think you are overestimating me because I'm young."

Ryousuke then said "That's interesting. I guess you don't understand your own potential. You're so unique. It will be nice to sit down and talk with you someday."

Then, Ryousuke took off his jacket and handed it to Keisuke and then said it was time to get the show on the road.

May then got in her R34 and Drew said to clear the road.

Hiroshi said "All right! Move your cars!"

People were clearing the course for May and Ryousuke to race.

Hiroshi then said "Is it okay if we Red Suns run this race?"

Max said "Sure. Get some guys from the Speed Stars to be officials, too."

Akito then said "Max, I will be at the goal."

Max then said "All right, Akito. Do a good job!" Akito then left in his Z32 to be at the finish line.

Kenta then said "Keisuke, I will be at the five hairpins."

Keisuke then said "Okay."

Kenta said "Of course Ryousuke will win, won't he? We're going to get our revenge, right?"

Keisuke then said to Kenta "Of course we are. No matter how that that girl is, there's no way my brother will lose."

Kenta then said "You're right. Okay, I'm off!" Kenta then left for the hairpins.

Noriyuki then said "It's good here. What about the corners?"

Meanwhile, Solidad was standing near one of the hairpins. She said to herself "You can win, May. I know you can beat Ryousuke Takahashi."

Near the finish line, two girls from the Saitama Prefecture named Zoey Nishidake and Dawn Iwase were watching the race when Zoey said "This should be a good race. On one side, you have Ryousuke Takahashi, the fastest in all of Kanto. On the other side, you have a young girl who's making a name for herself here on Haruna. Watch and learn, Dawn. You will be inspired to race more."

Max said to May "Is there anything special for tonight's race, sis?"

May said "I don't have any trick for this race so we won't know until the end of the race."

Another Red Suns member said "The first corner's all good to go." & a Red Suns member reporting from the skate center said it was clear as well while another RedSun said the 17th hairpin was ready as well.

Kenta said "This is the 5 hairpin section. No cars around here so we're ready."

A Speed Stars member said that his section was clear of any obstacles so they can go at any time.

Ash told the racers to pull up to the start and then said "I am about to begin the countdown." May and Ryousuke then stopped and waited for Ash to start.

Meanwhile, Drew said to Kenji and Max "I AM SO NERVOUS! My throat is completely dry and my heart's pounding out of control!"

Max then said "The air around this whole pass is filled with tension."

Kenji said "I wonder if May is feeling all right?"

Max said in his head "You're racing against the best, sis. It doesn't matter if you lose. Just do your best!"

Drew said in his head "COME ON, MAY! I know you can win this!"

Meanwhile, Keisuke stared at his brother's FC and said in his head "There's no way my brother will lose. But something always happens in Haruna that R34 is racing."

Solidad then walked over to a crowd to get a better view of the race. She ran over to the guardrail and said "Excuse me. What's happening with the race?"

A female spectator with sunglasses said "It hasn't started yet."

Solidad then said "Oh, I see. Thank you.

At the top Noriyuki contacted Akito about how the finish line. Noriyuki wanted to know if everything was good where Akito was.

Akito then said "This is the finish line. No traffic to report. You can start at any time."

Noriyuki then gave a thumbs up meaning they could start the race.

Ash then said "Is it okay if I do the countdown for the race?"

Ryousuke said "Yes. I think I know you. You're Ashton Morikawa, a guy who holds a record on the Irohazaka course, aren't you?"

Ash said "Well, yes I am the guy who holds a record on Irohazaka. How do you know?"

Ryousuke chuckled and said "I know everything that happens in Kanto when it comes to street racing."

Ash then said "RACERS READY? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"

Kenji and Drew were cheering May on when the race started.

Max said "All right! May's going right by him!"

Both Ryousuke and May were off to fast starts while heading to the 1st corner. May started to pull a little ground between her and Ryousuke just before they entered the 1st corner.

Keisuke said "That's my brother's strategy. He always lets his opponent get ahead at first then he catches up later. That's how he wins races. His fastest racer theory can't go wrong!"

Ash said "Looks like May is ahead early." & Drew said "She got off to a better start than what Ryousuke did but don't count out Takahashi yet. He's only letting May go first so he can catch up later."

One guy watching said "THEY'RE BOTH AMAZING! THOSE WERE EXTREMELY CLOSE TWIN DRIFTS! Using that much drift is not Ryousuke Takahashi's style at all."

Another guy said "What a show, right from the beginning!"

A guy told Keisuke that Ryousuke used a drift right away and Kenji said "I think Ryousuke Takahashi wants to beat May using her specialty to show the willpower of a racing king."

A Speed Stars member said to Max "May is doing well. She seems to be in sync tonight and doesn't show any signs of trouble."

Drew said "GO FOR IT, MAY! YOU HAVE TO BEAT RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI! GO MAY! Isn't that right, Max?"

Max said "You got a point, Drew."

At a corner, both Ryousuke and May drifted and Ryousuke said "How impressive. The R34 is a new car and it's probably going to be tested tonight. Let alone, I have never seen a Nissan Skyline GT-R driven so perfectly."

May drifted at the next corner which really amazed Ryousuke and he said "I knew it. She has improved. She uses very little counter-steering as she stabilizes in the final moment of the drift. That hasn't changed one bit. But she counter-steers less right after a turn-in maneuver. But I don't understand. It hasn't been that long since her last race, but her weakness is already gone. She improves with every race. I need to change the scenario a little bit but that's it. I will show her my fastest racer theory is invincible!"

Meanwhile, Shingo Shoji told Takeshi Nakazato "I didn't park here because your car was here. Don't make any mistake about it. I was planning to park here even before I arrived. Why don't you go away?"

Takeshi said "NO WAY! I also knew that this was the only spot to watch the race. You're the one who should go away. All the beginners usually want to watch it from such obvious places like the five consecutive hairpins."

Shingo then said "Right. The race isn't decided in a spot like that. This is the only point where they could go for the win."

Takeshi then said "So, that's why you think too, huh? Let me just say that you're impressive."

Shingo then said "You, too." They each stared at each other than look away from one another.

Takeshi then said "So, this place is really deserted, huh?"

Shingo said "If someone sees us here, they'll think we're friends."

Then Takeshi and Shingo both said "Shoot! How annoying!"

At the race, the cars were reaching where Yuichi was and he said "HERE THEY COME!"

Someone watching said they were close to the guardrail and that excited the fans watching.

Yuichi said that he was amazed at watching Ryousuke and May race. Then he called Ash.

At the top of Mount Haruna, Ash said "Hello, Ashton Morikawa speaking."

Yuichi said "Hey, Ash! Are you listening?"

Ash said "Oh heck, it's you, Yuichi."

Yuichi then said in excitement "Listen hard! They just passed in front of me. They were both driving very hard, with May's R34 ahead and the FC right behind her."

Ash said "May was ahead? That's not good."

Yuichi then said "Not good? Why?"

Ash said "Calm down a little, Yuichi. It's more advantageous to chase the other car than to run from it. That's common sense."

Yuichi then said "That's true."

Ash then went on to say "The rear driver can study the course and rhythm of the other driver. If he's skilled enough, he can also copy the driving."

Yuichi then said "But maybe she can also just drive away."

Ash said "The driver in front is under tremendous pressure. Having another car follow you at the same speed gradually pushes you into a mental corner. The harder you try to get away, and the longer you're followed, the more threatening your opponent seems. On top of that, May is still new to such racing tactics. I'm sure she's really freaking out by now."

Yuichi then said "You think so? Anyway, I will give you call later with the outcome."

Ash then hung up and said "May… Will she lose? Maybe not."

May and Ryousuke were still racing hard and pushing each other to the limit. They then drifted into the next corner.

May continuously looked at her rear view mirror and saw that Ryousuke kept on trailing her.

A guy who was reporting from the 24th corner said "THIS IS INCREDIBLE! The R34 and Ryousuke's FC just passed here. We have checked the time, and it's amazing! If they hold this pace, they'll break the R34's record by 7 or 8 seconds! Anyway, that's my report."

Keisuke said in his head "7 or 8 seconds faster than when I raced against her? GIVE ME A BREAK! Is this what happens when my brother gets really serious? It's getting really scary now. This race is going to become legendary."

Kenji then said "It looks like May is still in the lead!"

Drew then said "ALL RIGHT! May can win this race, right, Max?"

Max said "Yeah. But I wonder how long she can keep this up?

Kenji and Drew said "WHAT?!" & Max said "She's racing against Ryousuke Takahashi. I will be happy if May can just finish the race safely.

While racing, May said in her mind "I am going at full power and he's right on my tail. No matter how fast I go still can't get away! It's no good. I might lose this race. Ryousuke Takahashi. I can't even compare to such a great racer! I don't want to but I'm going to lose! The things that I have to get me through this are my good luck charm, my family and friends rooting for me. I can't let them down tonight because this is such a big race for Haruna. I WILL NOT LOSE TONIGHT! RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI, GET READY TO SEE WHAT MY R34 IS CAPABLE OF DOING!"


	26. Chapter 26: A New Downhill Legend

When we last left off, May was ahead of Ryousuke Takahashi but seemed like she couldn't pull away from him. She said that no matter what she did, it was to no avail.

May said "I am going at full throttle and he's on my ass. I must be hallucinating now. It's no good. I might lose the race if I can't stay focused."

Ryousuke and May drifted at the next corner and May was flooring her car to put a little room between her and Ryousuke. The two were cornering with amazing skill.

Ryousuke said "Amazing! I'm getting goose bumps. She's following such a perfect line. If I weren't behind her, copying her every move, it would have been almost impossible for me to do this. Beginners can drive fast on a straight line. Intermediate racers can master corners. But truly advanced racers find their own course and that's how they get ahead. To find out that ultimate course is the main objective of my fastest racer theory and I can't believe I found the best example of my theory on such an occasion after searching for it for so long. What amazing talent."

May tried to pull away from Ryousuke but it didn't work out.

At the next corner, some guys watching said "Who's ahead? Is it Ryousuke Takahashi or the R34?"

They found out May had the lead over Ryousuke. They were also amazed at May's ability.

May touched the guardrail a little bit causing Ryousuke to gain some ground. She said in her head "IT'S NO GOOD! I can't widen the lead!"

People at the first hairpin could hear the screeching tires.

Noriyuki said "Just the sound of it gives me shivers!"

Kenta said "Since the straight section before the five hairpins is quite long, I bet there will be some hard braking."

Then May and Ryousuke came into view.

Noriyuki then said "Here they come! The R34 is in front!"

Kenta said in his head "RYOUSUKE!"

Noriyuki said to the people at the top of the mountain "This is the entrance to the five hairpins here. I can see both cars now. The R34 is leading!"

People couldn't believe May's R34 was leading. This got Ash, Kenji, and Max excited.

Meanwhile, May and Ryousuke were heading towards the first of the five hairpins. May was going full power into the hairpin but her speed was too much.

Ryousuke noticed and said in his head "Too much speed. She messed it up."

May's car skidded to the outside which opened the inside for Ryousuke.

May said "DAMN IT! TURN!"

Spectators were afraid that May would crash into them. Ryousuke then passed May.

Ryousuke then said in his head "Her R34 is very powerful but she has yet to grasp braking recovery. If she was a little more experienced she could have brought it back. It's kind of reckless with a GT-R!"

Meanwhile, Keiji told Keisuke "Ryousuke's FC took the lead!"

Keisuke said "WHAT?"

Keiji then said "When the R34 over-accelerated and under-steered, Ryousuke passed her!"

Keisuke said to himself "The R34 under-steered?"

Then Kenta said to Keisuke "He's just amazing! Ryousuke is in a class by himself! Now I'm totally sure that Ryousuke is going to win!"

Drew, Kenji, and Max were shocked to hear what was just said.

Meanwhile, May was trying to catch back up with Ryousuke. She said to herself "CRAP! I WENT TOO FAST AND TOOK THE TURN TOO WIDE! Not only that, the car under-steered. This race is far from over. I can still win!"

Ryousuke said "She's such a strange girl. What an unexposed weakness! I was planning to stay behind her a little longer so I could hide my strengths. Now that I'm in front, I don't want her to get right behind me, so before she recovers, I'd better widen the gap and guarantee myself the win."

Meanwhile May tried not to let Ryousuke get away from her.

One guy said to Keisuke after the cars passed him "The FC just passed us. The R34 is a little behind. Ryousuke's time is amazing! He could beat the course records by almost 12 seconds!"

Keisuke said in his head "Twelve seconds?! The race is over. My brother will just widen the gap now."

Then Max said "Just hearing about it gives me chills. Even if she loses, it won't hurt May's reputation. It's just that Ryousuke Takahashi is simply incomparable!"

Drew then said "Wait a minute. The race isn't over yet! I know your sister well that she can come back and win the battle. She always has, hasn't she? No matter how bad it has looked, she has always come back and won. I'm sure she can do it again!"

Max then said in his head "Please get to the finish line safely! Don't do anything crazy, sis!"

Meanwhile Solidad was at the last hairpin. She was waiting to see who could be in front.

At another hairpin, Zoey and Dawn were watching the race. Zoey said "That R34 has some skills. She can recover really well. That R34 will make a worthy target for us."

Meanwhile, Ryousuke was trying to pull away from May. He said in his head "The merit of a light and compact rotary engine is not the power but the agility you get from an ideal front-back weight distribution. I love the consistent spirit of the rotary engine. Even if I have to put my pride on the line, the rotary engine can't fall behind the R34 on the corners!"

Then Ryousuke went through the next hairpin. Meanwhile, May was trying to gain ground on Ryousuke. She drifted at the hairpin which excited the crowd. Then they passed Maya and Simone.

Simone said "Aren't Ryousuke Takahashi and May Chan awesome? The drift punks around here don't even come close to that speed."

Maya said "Simone, what's going to happen in this race?"

Simone said "It's impossible to pass Ryousuke Takahashi once he's in front. But he's racing against May Chan! May hasn't given up and she can't give up. The lines she chooses are better than the Ryousuke's lines. You can tell she has driven Haruna Pass a lot."

May then did her best to not let Ryousuke pull away from her. She then said to herself "I thought he would be way ahead once he passed me! I still have a chance! I can't give up!"

Then May went full throttle. She noticed she was getting closer to Ryousuke.

Ryousuke couldn't believe May was closing the gap on him. He said "CRAP! All of the sudden, my front tires aren't sticking to the road. Could it be heat wear? Following and copying the R34's driving might have put more strain on the front tires than I expected."

May then closed the gap more on Ryousuke.

Ryousuke then said "The R34 is getting closer. Isn't she having any problems with her tires? A little wear on the tires won't affect my technique, though."

May then said "I can't catch him like this. I need to get closer all at once!"

She and Ryousuke braked for the next corners. May drifted through the corner so she could close the gap a bit more.

Then she said in her head "DAMN IT! Is this my limit? Should I try that gutter thing that Ash taught me? I haven't tried it so it's a big gamble."

May decided to use the gutter technique Ash taught her and was able to catch up to Ryousuke. Ryousuke couldn't believe what May did and May was about to pass Ryousuke.

Ryousuke said "What did she just do?!"

He saw it again and said "What the heck did she just do?!"

Takeshi and Shingo were watching at one of the hairpins. Takeshi said that May and Ryousuke were coming real soon.

Shingo then said "Judging from the skidding sound, they must be very close to each other."

Takeshi said "Just as I expected!"

Shingo then said "This is the only spot where they can go for the win. The straightaway lets you speed up for the braking to come. Unlike the rest of the narrow mountain pass road, this corner has three lanes, so you choose your own line. On top of that, this is a compound corner where two R's overlap. The finish line is right over there. This has to be the point where they go for the win."

Takeshi then said "The one who leads after this corner is the one who wins the race!"

Then Takeshi noticed them coming. He said "The FC is leading!" & Shingo said The R34 is right behind him!" & Takeshi then said "What will they do?"

Shingo said "There's no way to pass from the outside! Go inside!"

Takeshi then said "Inside or outside?

Ryousuke concentrated on the next corner. Then May went on the outside to pass Ryousuke.

Both Takeshi and Shingo were shocked and amazed to see May go on the outside.

Takeshi then said in his head "Ryousuke didn't leave any on the inside! There was no way to go inside!"

Ryousuke then looked out his window and saw May passing him on the outside.

Both Ryousuke and May drifted into the next corner and Ryousuke pulled out a slight lead.

Takeshi then said "The inside has the absolute advantage!"

Then Ryousuke started to skid.

Shingo said "The FC is skidding to the outside of the curve! Is this for real?"

Takeshi then said "He's going way too fast to get out of the curve!"

May then used the inside to her advantage to pass Ryousuke.

Takeshi then said "NO WAY! Their lines will cross one another!" Then May made the pass.

People were shocked to see May pass Ryousuke like that. May then pulled out a gap over Ryousuke.

One spectator then said he could see them coming.

Some female spectators couldn't believe Ryousuke was losing.

Solidad then saw May in front of Ryousuke and then said "That's May's R34! She's going to win now! There's nothing Ryousuke can do to pass her!

The two cars were approaching the skate center and May's lead was over 2 seconds on Ryousuke.

Zoey then went "That's the R34 that has made headlines in Gunma. I think she is going to win!"

A guy told Keisuke "It's the R34! The R34 has won the race! I can't believe it! Not only that, she beat the record by more than 15 seconds! UNBELIEVEABLE!"

Keisuke then said in his head "My big brother has lost. The legend of the unbeatable man is over."

Drew went "ALL RIGHT! SHE WON! THE R34 WON!"

Kenji and Max said "HOORAY!

They went crazy over May beating Ryousuke Takahashi.

Max went "YOU DID IT, SIS! YOU BEAT RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI! YOU ARE AWESOME!"

Ash went "I AM CRYING SO MUCH NOW THAT I CAN'T STOP!"

Drew went "I KNEW SHE COULD WIN! SHE NEEDED FAITH IN HERSELF!"

At the last hairpin, Takeshi and Shingo were talking about the race.

Takeshi said "We've just seen one hell of a race."

Shingo said "I am still in a state of shock. WOW!"

Takeshi then stared at Shingo and said "Hey, Shingo! Get farther away from me! If someone sees us, they'll think we're friends."

Shingo then yelled "You get away!"

Meanwhile, Maya and Simone were about to leave when Simone said "May did it! She beat Ryousuke Takahashi. That's so cool!" & Maya said "YEAH!"

Simone then said "Maybe I will ask May out for a date! Why don't you ask that guy out too, Maya? What was his name? That's right. It was Max. There's still a chance! Let's go on a double date!

At the finish line, Dawn and Zoey got in Zoey's Silver 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo. She said to Dawn "That was an awesome race. I'm telling you that R34 is a worthy target for us."

A ½ of a mile from the finish line, Ryousuke said to May "For someone as young as you, you impressed me tonight with your amazing skill. I have never been driven to the limit as much as I was tonight."

May then said "There's one thing that I want to ask you, Ryousuke. How come you waited for me to take charge of the race?"

Ryousuke said "You think I slowed down on purpose in the last half of the race? No way. You must have picked up your pace a notch and I tried my best not to slow down however my front tires were acting strange. But I can't use the tires for an excuse. Conditions were the same for both of us. I clearly lost."

May then said "I don't think that I am a faster driver or anything like that." & Ryousuke told May that she was really weird.

He also said "Turn your gaze towards the bigger world out there. May Chan, you were really fast tonight and I have never met a racer like you. You have impressed me beyond belief." Ryousuke then drove off to go back to Akagi.

May then said "Maybe Ryousuke Takahashi is right. Maybe I have not unleashed my full potential. I will work harder to unleash what I've been hiding."


End file.
